Zachary’s Jewelers held their 13th Annual Mother’s Day Jewelry Design Contest Brunch for all the 5th graders and their families from the surrounding elementary schools. Every year they ask all the participating 5th-grade classes to draw a piece of jewelry for their mother, and from those entries, the staff at Zachary’s choose semi-finalists to attend a Brunch in early May where they announce the finalists and the winners. The three winning sketches are crafted into fine jewelry by Zachary’s Jewelers and are presented to the winners and their families!
This year, on May 5th, they announced the 28 finalists and presented the three winners’ pieces. The happiness in the room was palpable! Mothers were tearing up, and other mothers talked about how proud they were of their children; it gave people goosebumps.
Seventeen schools from across Anne Arundel County were represented including public, private, and home-schooled, and more than 180 entries were received, and twenty-eight finalists were chosen for the brunch.
Leslie Rollins, a team member at Zachary’s, explained the difficult process of selecting the winners, ” First there needs to be a good story explaining the piece, and then we look to artistry, and finally can we actually design this.” Why fifth grade? Rollins continued, “It’s a perfect time. As the kids transition to middle school, this gives them a bit more confidence, and the ability to stoke their creativeness.”
This year’s winners were Hannah from Windsor Farms Elementary, who designed a ring with stones and colors to represent her entire family and some of the struggles they have experienced.
Another winner was Gracen from St. Mary’s, who designed a bracelet with three birds to signify her family as well as a nod to a favorite artist–Bob Marley and one love!
And finally, Sloane from Oak Hill Elementary, whose pendant was heart shaped with stones symbolizing her family and their particular birthstones.
Below is a gallery of all of the semi-finalists. All of the stories are heartwarming, funny, and heartbreaking.
This year, not only did Zachary’s Jewelers reward the kids and their moms, but the art programs at each of their scvhools will receive a $500 check to further students’ journeys in art.
And on a persponal note–this design and story deserves its own, separate reward!
