Presenting the Rejewlery Competition
How it Works
The Rejewelry Competition and Exhibition is an ongoing international juried competition that invites jewelers to create a series of wearable pieces using jewelry donated to the Radical Jewelry Makeover project.
The juror-selected applicants can purchase RJM donation materials through a private RJM Shop to create a suite of jewelry that will exhibit for one year in a traveling exhibition (3 exhibitions). Materials available in the shop include a sweeping range from fine materials (gold, silver, gemstones) to costume jewelry (plastics, pot metal, wood, rubber, etc.).
Works created in the competition will be available for purchase in the online RJM Store between the exhibitions.
*All competition works will be available for purchase during the exhibitions and online. Artists will receive the standard 50% of any sales made.
Selection of work from the Rejewelry 2023 cohort.
Important Dates
Sept 15 - Nov 30
Application period.Feb 1
Jurors select the new Rejewlery cohort.Feb 1 - March 1
Private RJM Shop opens for cohort.
*Materials mailed 5 business days from purchase.Feb - May
Applicants create a suite of jewelryMay 1
All completed works must arrive to RJM HeadquartersJune 2026
Works begin traveling showcase, three exhibitions.
Questions
Please direct all questions to the following email address:
RJMstore (at) ethicaljewelry (dot) org
Frequently Asked Questions
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NO
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NO
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No, you can discern in what way you choose to resolve the question of sustainability through material and process.
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You are responsible for shipping items purchased from the private RJM Shop as well as shipping the work to the headquarters once your work is completed with a return label.
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Yes, but it is important to note a few things: Artists are responsible for shipping expenses. This means, shipping the work to Richmond VA, USA, and including a return shipping label.
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It means we will sell bags of plated, low-melting-point metal, plastic, wood, steel, beads, etc. Costume jewelry makes up most of what we receive in donations and we look forward to seeing artists innovate with this material that can be challenging to work with!
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Yes! RJM is looking for compelling work which can obviously come from both students and professionals!
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Precious materials will be sold in pre-weighed amounts. Sterling silver will be sold in 2-troy-ounce increments. Gold will be divided and sold by karat in 2-gram increments. The majority of gold donated to RJM is 14k. Precious materials will be sold at 80% of the day's rate for the karat/type being purchased. Precious materials will be sold while supplies last. All materials will be measured and sorted beforehand.
If you plan to pour ingots, keep in mind that you may have solder seams to remove or springs in clasps to take out before you melt this material down.
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RJM will have estimated values for gemstones. Some will be sold singularly, and some in small lots.
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Yes! That said, we do ask that makers use the materials provided by the project. The challenge becomes increased when artists restrict their material use to only RJM materials. We acknowledge that artists have a signature style that may require using specific materials in addition to the RJM materials.
Important Info
Eligibility
All jewelers are welcome to apply.
International participants (those outside the USA) are welcome but should note, they will purchase their post-consumer materials through local secondary markets as the carbon footprint of shipping RJM materials internationally is in conflict with the mission and ethics of RJM.
Requirements for Application Review
Payment of the $30 application fee and submission of all application materials.
5 images (with up to 5 additional detail images) of current works, a statement about your work, and basic contact information.
How to Pay Application Fee
Click link below. You will be brought to the Community for Ethical Jewelry webpage (formerly Ethical Metalsmiths).
Enter $30 as your contribution.
In Additional Information, note Rejewelry as shown below.
About the RJM Materials
RJM receives about 100 pounds of donated jewelry during each installment. From these donations, 99% is costume, fast-fashion jewelry while the other 1% is precious material.
If selected to participate in the Rejewelry Competition these donated materials will be available to you in order to create a suite of jewelry. The materials include:
Silver, 2 troy ounces (min purchase): priced at 80% of the day's rate at the time of purchase
14k Gold, 2 gram (min purchase): priced at 80% of the day's rate at the time of purchase
NOTE: The majority of RJM donated gold is 14k, but there may be small quantities of 18k that will also be available for purchase and sold according to the above system for pricing.Costume Jewelry: Priced by the pound, $12 per pound.
Gemstones will be divided by weight or individually sold. Priced per lot.
The Jurors
Heidi Lowe
Heidi Lowe comes from a family of artists, where she was surrounded by quality art supplies, and being creative was encouraged. Heidi started her first jewelry company at age 13 where she created earrings and sold them to shops on Rehoboth Avenue. When Heidi made her first silver ring in high school, she knew she would study metals and jewelry in college. Heidi attended the Maine College of Art and then earned a master’s degree in Metals and Jewelry from the State University of NY - New Paltz.
Heidi opened her namesake jewelry gallery, Heidi Lowe Gallery, in 2006 where she exhibits her one-of-a-kind jewels as well the works of 25 artists from around the country. Through the years she has been striving to create a meaningful body of work that merges the handmade with wearable comfort and beauty. While the world was on pause the Liana Collection emerged. The liana vine signified the strength and endurance found within each of us, a spirit to be celebrated and encouraged.
When Heidi’s not making jewelry, she’s focused on having fun with family and friends. She’s always looking forward to her next travel plans where she can recharge and allow her creative mind space. Artistic and personal growth are integral to how Heidi navigates the world, spending her downtime reading, drawing, and learning.
Jessica Armstrong
Jessica Armstrong is not only a trained contemporary art jeweler, but also the Owner of Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry in Chicago, Illinois. Jessica received her MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and has continued her education at various institutions by taking workshops. Armstrong’s work has been featured both internationally and throughout the United States.
Armstrong has over ten years of experience curating, and will serve as a Judge for Romanian Jewelry Week 2025 and a curator for Discover, held by NYC Jewelry week in fall 2025. Previously, she served as a Juror for the Contemporary Crafts sector of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2023 and as Juror for the Art Craft Show held by Philadelphia Museum of Craft in 2023, to name only a few.
Additionally, Armstrong has been a Visiting Lecturer for Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2025 and 2023, as well as Guest Lecturer for Halstead’s Jewelry Business Forum in 2024 and Stay Gold Collective with Liz Katner in 2023.
As sole Owner of Pistachios since 2018, Armstrong has proudly continued the gallery’s 30+ year legacy. With an ever-growing roster of emerging and established artists from around the world, Pistachios showcases the very best in contemporary art jewelry while providing an art experience that is inviting, accessible, and friendly.
She continues to build her own personal collection, as an avid collector of contemporary art jewelry from other galleries and individual artists.
Shane Prada
Shane Prada began her career working in education in 2004, first as a Teach For America corps member and then as a cofounder of one of the first charter schools in Baltimore city. In 2010, Shane began taking evening classes at the MICA Jewelry Center and fell in love with art jewelry and metalsmithing. In the fall of 2012, MICA announced that it would discontinue the 22-year old Jewelry Center program in 2014. In the spring of 2013, a leadership team comprised of the core faculty and three students from the program was formed. Shane took the lead as the team created a new organization, the Baltimore Jewelry Center. In her role as director of the BJC, Shane oversees the administration and strategic plan of the organization, steers the educational programming, raises funds, manages the organization’s finances, and spearheads community outreach. At the end of 2025, after nearly 13 years of transformative leadership, Shane will step down from her position as the Executive Director of the BJC. While she will stay on at the BJC in a part-time role, she is excited to welcome a new leader to the organization and to pursue other career pathways for herself. In her spare time, Shane is an avid equestrian, training and competing in the Olympic sport of eventing. She also loves to sew clothing.
