Blackwell, who is founder of Renee Blackwell Design, has received first prize in the crafts and hobbies category of the Beverly Hills Book Awards for her publication Adornments from the soul.
The ‘coffee table’ book focuses on the relationship between Blackwell’s jewellery design and patina, providing insight into her processes and inspiration over the past 30 years.
Blackwell said she hoped the decision to publish her first book and enter the awards program would provide inspiration for other people working in the jewellery industry to think ‘outside the box’.
“I know we as jewellers can get so bogged down in the daily grind of making, designing and selling,” she says, adding, “I strongly feel we must make our own opportunities, rather than wait for them to come along.”
Blackwell said there was a need for information and ‘genuine inspiration’ on how to approach the industry and promote jewellery in new, innovative ways and that Adornments from the soul was one example of how this could be achieved.
In addition to writing, entrants were judged on the publication’s cover and interior design, promotional text, aesthetic components and overall presentation.
Running for five years, the Beverly Hills Book Awards are based in California, US, and are open to English language non-fiction and fiction publications.
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