Yowah Design Awards

The Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition started in 1997 as a way to promote Opal specific to the Yowah region. Yowah Opal is known for its beautiful and unique opal yowah nuts – these have ironstone concretions which hold opal deposits in their centres. While Opal is the national Gemstone of Australia its popularity and value has spread the world over. Over the years I have competed in the Jewellery Competition at the annual Yowah Opal Festival and below you can find some of my entries from over the years. Click on the pieces to get more details.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 1998

Yowah Matrix Opal

Winner of the Australian Division 1998: $1001-$5000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Mac has stretched the imagination in using a red on black Yowah matrix opal that was cut freeform, mounted on high carat gold, achieving a pair of sculpted earrings that look elegantly capable of a flight of fancy.

Obj’ De Art

Winner Australian Division 1998: Obj’ de Art Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Mac’s winning Obj’ de Art was a fanciful wooden box with a brushed silver lid bejewelled with opal and an offset sterling lizard.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 1999

Lizard Walking

Winner Australian Division 1999: Under $500 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Aboriginal Native Lizard Tracks. Opal and silver pendant, five piece opal mosaic with fine and sterling silver. Created by Ian MAC McArthur and Ulf Tomasson

Macs Arrow

Australian Winner 1999 – $1001-$5000 Category

Competition Quote:
Yellow gold brooch with opal, lapis lazuli, black and green jade, 2 diamonds, nickle iron meteorite tip and white gold thread and nuts

Macs Box

Winner Yowah Opal Jewellery Competition 1999: Obj’ de Art Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Macs Box was created by Ian “Mac” McArthur and Ulf Tomasson. The Stone Box was created in three pieces. It is made up of a 22 piece mosaic lid, a crinoid marble box and a rose quartz base.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2000

SHMIRLY – “See How Much I Really Love You”

Winner Yowah Opal Jewellery Competition 2000: $1001 – $5000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
18 ct and 9ct yellow gold set with nut centre, diamond, pearl, tanzanite and titanium.

National Gemstone Knife in Sheaf

Mediums Used:

Stainless Steel, Queensland Ironstone Matrix Opal, Sterling Silver & Ostrich Leather

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2000

Wood Knots

Winner Yowah Jewellery Competition 2001: Under $500 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Wood Knots created by Ian MAC McArthur.

Tuff Cuff Stuff

3rd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2001: Under $500 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Tuff Cuff Stuff created by Ian MAC McArthur.

Up the Garden Path

Winner Yowah Jewellery Competition 2001: $501 – $1000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Up the Garden Path created by Ian MAC McArthur.

Earrings

3rd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2001: $501 – $1000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Earrings created by Ian MAC McArthur

A space oddity

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2002

All the World’s a Stage and She Who has the Most Opal Wins

Winner Yowah Jewellery Competition 2002: Category 3

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
All the World’s a Stage and She Who has the Most Opal Wins created by Ian MAC McArthur. Koroit Opal, Silver and Gold Plate & Leather

How Many Diamonds

2nd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2002: Category 2

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
How Many Diamonds created by Ian MAC McArthur. Yowah Opal Nut, Gold and Diamond.

The Mushroom of Course

3rd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2002: $501 – $1000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
The Mushroom of Course created by Ian MAC McArthur. Koroit Opal, Silver and Gold.

A question of Balance

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:

A question of Balance created by Ian MAC McArthur. Yowah Opal, Diamonds, Gold and Silver
3rd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2002: $1001-$5000 Category

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2003

Skin in Behalf of Skin

2nd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2003: Under $500 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Skin in Behalf of Skin created by Ian MAC Mcarthur. Materials include: Koroit Nut, Fresh water pearls, Fine Silver, Stg Silver and 24ct gold snake eyes & Oxodised Snake Clasp.

The Lure

2nd Place Yowah Jewellery Competition 2003: $1001-$5000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
“The Lure” in the heart of the earth was created by Ian MAC McArthur. Material used: 18ct Yellow and White Gold, Koroit Opal & Coloured and White Diamonds.

Kookaburra @ Sunrise

Yowah Jewellery Competition 2003: $501 – $1000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Kookaburra @ Sunrise created by Ian MAC McArthur. Materials used are Yowah & Koroit Opal, Silver & 9ct Yellow Gold.

Numero Uno Mum

Yowah Jewellery Competition 2003: $501 – $1000 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Mum’s Blackgate Opal Brooch – Numero Uno Mum created by Ian MAC McArthur. Materials used: 9/18ct yellow gold & Blackgate opal.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2006

Fantacy Knife

Winner Yowah Jewellery Competition 2006: Object d’art Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Fantacy Knife created by Ian MAC McArthur. Materials Used: 18 ct yellow gold, Sterling Silver, Yowah Opal, Wood replacement opal & Stainless Steel.

Aussie Icon

Winner Yowah Jewellery Competition 2006: Under $500 Category

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Aussie Icon created by Ian MAC McArthur. Materials used: Emu Skin leather, Kangaroo Skin, Stg Silver and Yowah Nut

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2008

Pendant

Highly Commended Yowah Jewellery Competition 2008: Under $500 Category
Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Pendant created by Ian MAC McArthur & Marieke Beker.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2012

Economy of Style

Economy of Style – Winner Yowah Opal Designer Jewellery Competition 2012 : Under $500 CATEGORY

Competition Quote & Jewellery Piece Description:
Yowah Boulder Opal and sterling silver pendant by Ian Mac McArthur.

Yowah Opal Festival Designer Jewellery Competition 2014

“Big Bail” Pendant

First Place 2014 Yowah Designer Jewellery Competition : Winner of Category 2 – $501 – $1500

Matrix boulder Opal pendant set in Sterling Silver.
Pendant size is 49mm high by 20mm wide by 5mm thick.
Spectacular green, red & blue colours in this Opal from Koroit, Queensland, Australia.
The sterling silver bezel enhances this lovely opal and gives it a real feeling of solidarity.