All That Glitters: Britain's Next Jewellery Star: Costume Jewelry

April 27, 2021 5:38 PM - Season 1, Episode 3

The jewellers create cocktail rings and bib necklaces out of alternative materials.
posted by Anonymous (8 comments total)

What is the judging on this show? One jeweller doesn't meet the brief inn both challenges and stays while another who did goes home? I'm so confused. And did the winner win solely because their piece was picked? Because that's the only thing that makes sense to me. They definitely did not produce the best pieces.

I thought Tamara produced the loveliest work of both challenges and I was absolutely sure the client was going to pick hers. And then they chose what I thought was the cheapest looking one. So that was disappointing.

I'm still watching this but each week so far has left me more confused about how they pick winners and who to cut.
posted by Anonymous at 5:45 PM on April 27, 2021

EDIT: uh, actually Tamara DID win and I do not know how I got fixated on the idea that the other guy won?
posted by Anonymous at 5:52 PM on April 27, 2021

I'm mostly annoyed by how obsessed they are with modern work. Do the briefs all call for it? Not everyone actually wants modern work.

I agree, Sonny should not have stayed. The judging makes absolutely no sense to me. And why didn't we get to see the drag outfit including necklace?
posted by jeather at 3:44 AM on April 28, 2021

Yes, Sonny staying was baffling. His non-bib necklace was awful and his non-cocktail ring wasn't great either. (That said, it was better than Nicola's monstrosity in the Bestseller challenge.) I thought Hugo's shell ring was beautiful.

I was happy for Tamara's win although the use of the beetle wings skeeved me out. I was also surprised that Lee's necklace was chosen as the favourite, because it didn't scream 'Egyptian' to me at all.

For a show that's meant to be light entertainment, Solange is such a downer, that monotone voice and lack of warmth is very off-putting, and her critiques are so negative it must be demoralising for the contestants.
posted by essexjan at 10:07 AM on April 28, 2021

It reminds me of the earliest series of the Great British Sewing Bee and the Pottery Throw Down - it has potential but it isn't quite right yet. Neither of the jewellery judges show much character or chemistry. The presenter is trying so hard to inject some life into it. If it survives, a few tweaks (eg change the judges) might help, or maybe they'll just relax into it more.

I see why they picked the person to leave and I mostly agreed. But I would have been ok with Sonny going. I also think they are overemphasising the more modern cutting edge pieces - like when the older lady who did mostly organic floral work was dropped. If you really want a bestseller, I'd be surprised if ugly impractical pieces outsold safe traditional commercial pieces. I guess I'll keep watching though.
posted by ElasticParrot at 10:01 AM on April 29, 2021

The Daily Mail reported today that Katharine Ryan's series The Duchess has been cancelled. (I'm not posting the link because, well, it's the Daily Mail.)
posted by essexjan at 1:24 PM on April 30, 2021

In both cases, I liked Dan's (I think that's his name) leather pieces. That floral ring was the only one of the bunch I'd wear. I don't care if it's boring or old fashioned or whatever the judges thought it was. It was elegant and it looked well crafted.

I was also in favour of tossing Sonny. He really deserved to go this time around.

I have no idea why the bespoke customer chose that necklace. It didn't even seem like it went with the dress.

I did like Tamara's choice of materials--the beetle wings were lovely to look at (eve if I'm not sure I'd wear them) and the carved nut ivory was a smart choice (although the ring was too tall for something I'd consider wearing).

As downbeat as the judges are, I'd much rather keep them and ditch the host. She kind of makes my skin crawl with how not funny she is.
posted by sardonyx at 9:00 PM on April 30, 2021

I don't like the host, but at least she seems to enjoy being on the show and is not acting like her family is being held at gunpoint for her to agree to show up. And I think judges who are doing it based on their own idiosyncratic whatever and not "following the brief" are bad at being judges.

I'd be fine with actually just replacing all three, but they never do that.
posted by jeather at 12:15 PM on May 4, 2021