Young Designers Recognised at National Jewellery Competition Awards

City of Glasgow College recently welcomed the winners of its 2025 National Secondary School Jewellery Competition for a special celebration recognising the creativity and talent of young designers from across Scotland.

The event marked the presentation of finished pieces created from the 2025 competition, in which secondary school pupils responded to the theme Climate Change – “Flourish”: Jewellery Design for a Greener Tomorrow. More than 600 pupils took part, producing imaginative and environmentally conscious jewellery concepts inspired by sustainability and the future of design.

Winning pupils Sadie Grieg (S3, Balfron High School) and Emily Lin (S3, Kirkintilloch High School) were presented with their finished pendants, seeing their original designs transformed into beautifully crafted pieces of jewellery in precious metal for the first time.

The celebration was shared with parents and teachers and offered a proud moment for the young designers, whose creativity and innovation stood out among hundreds of entries from across the country.

As part of their visit, the winners also enjoyed a tour of the College’s specialist jewellery facilities, including professional workshops, studios and creative learning spaces. The experience offered an inspiring insight into the opportunities available to students considering a future in jewellery and design.

Led annually by the College’s Craft and Design Department, the National Secondary School Jewellery Competition encourages young people to explore contemporary global issues through creative practice, combining design thinking with craftsmanship and innovation. This year’s initiative also highlighted sustainable collaboration through a partnership with Vipa Designs Ltd, who cast the winning pendants using silver reclaimed from discarded NHS X-ray film. This approach brought the students’ designs to life while reinforcing the competition’s environmental message.

Entries were judged by an industry panel including Sandra Gunn (Chair of Craft Scotland), Peter Crump (Managing Director of Vipa Designs Ltd), and jewellers Maeve Gillies and Ebba Goring.

The winning design, The Trash Greenhouse, stood out for its originality, creativity and strong environmental message, reflecting the imagination and forward-thinking approach of Scotland’s next generation of designers.

With the winners of the 2026 competition set to be announced soon, City of Glasgow College is already looking ahead to another year of showcasing exceptional young talent in jewellery design.