Material Innovation: The Katerina Perez x Osmium Visionary Contest is Back
Calling all jewellery designers: the Osmium Visionary Contest is returning! For 2026, I am once again inviting you to push your creativity further using the rarest precious metal on earth: osmium. If you’ve been looking for something that truly challenges your way of thinking, this is it.
Produced in extremely limited quantities and existing only in its crystalline form, osmium cannot be bent, melted or manipulated like traditional precious metals. Known for its scarcity, density and remarkable sparkle, it must be used as, for example, an inlay. That limitation is exactly what makes it so compelling because it forces you to design differently. (You can read more about osmium and its unique properties here). And this is exactly why we didn’t want to limit your creativity with a theme. The goal of this content is to let you design whatever you wish but making osmium the protagonist of your jewel.The top 20 finalists will receive a chance to gain valuable global media exposure and take part in a travelling exhibition with the Osmium Institute. Last year, the shortlisted designs were presented across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, including at GemGenève – an incredible platform for visibility attracting collectors, press and industry leaders from all over the globe.
2025 editionwinners
The inaugural 2025 edition set the bar incredibly high. We received 394 submissions from 234 designers across 47 different countries – an extraordinary response to a material that, until recently, many had never encountered. The first prize was awarded to Indonesian designer Bernadette Yodia for her poetic brooch ‘Serenade of the Moon’. Dutch designer Berke Henny followed in second place with his sculptural ‘Osmé’ earrings, while third place was awarded to Pasquale Rossi for his thought-provoking ring ‘The Gaze of the Digital Age’.
2026 guidelines
For 2026, the contest format remains open. There is no prescribed theme – the only rule is that osmium must play a central role in your design. What we are looking for is evidence of your voice, your aesthetic and your way of solving the creative puzzle this material presents.
You are allowed to submit up to three designs, with entries now open via visionary-contest.osmium.com. As before, the jury will be looking for exceptional presentation – detailed drawings, gouache renderings or precise 3D visualisations – that show not only beauty, but also the feasibility of your designs.
Crystalline osmium is the rarest precious metal on earth and can be used as an inlay material in fine and high jewellery
Submission Fee
There is no submission fee, however, this contest is open exclusively to Katerina Perez Club members. If you are not a yearly club member yet, please sign up to the Katerina Perez Club here. Designers entering the contest receive a special reduced annual rate using the code OSMIUM, 135 USD instead of the standard 204 USD (please enter the code at the checkout when signing up for the yearly membership).
If you have never heard of the KP Club, I created it as a space for serious jewellery professionals and passionate insiders – a hub of curated Industry insights, global event updates, expert perspectives and community connection. If you are investing time in your creative growth, it is designed to support and inspire you.
Crystalline osmium has a magnificent sparkle and looks just like a gemstone or a diamond when set into jewellery
The market for osmium is overseen by the Osmium Institute, based in Germany, who Katerina has partnered with for the competition
Osmium lends itself perfectly to forward-thinking, innovative jewellery creations
TheJudges
I am thrilled to welcome Anna Hu, a renowned jewellery designer who holds various awards herself, as our guest of honour on this year’s international judging panel. Together with myself, the CEO of Osmium Institute Scarlett Clauss, jewellery designer Tania Chan, last year’ winner Berke Henny, jewellery designer Myriam Soseilos and Member of the Board of Directors of GemGenève, Nadège Totah, we will evaluate each design for originality, wearability and a sensitivity to the unique properties of osmium.
The Prizes
If you’re ready to challenge yourself, rethink how you approach form and composition, and present your work on an international stage, this is your moment. With €30,000, €20,000 and €10,000 worth of crystalline osmium awarded to the top three winners, plus a €5,000 public prize decided by an audience vote, this is a unique opportunity to see your design transformed into a finished jewel using one of the most fascinating and forward-looking precious materials available today.
Osmium’s microscopic crystal surface can’t be replicated, which means each piece has its own unique topography, like a mountain range on a map or a fingerprint
Additional Incentive for Participants
The top 20 finalists will receive a chance to gain valuable global media exposure and take part in a travelling exhibition with the Osmium Institute. Last year, the shortlisted designs were presented across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, including at GemGenève – an incredible platform for visibility attracting collectors, press and industry leaders from all over the globe.
€30,000, €20,000 and €10,000 worth of crystalline osmium will be awarded to the top three winners for the 2026 edition
Submission Deadline
The deadline for submissions is the first days of April 2026 – you can see more information and upload your designs here. If you’ve ever wanted to test yourself using an unconventionally precious material, and to remind yourself that innovation in jewellery is very much alive, this is your moment. I can’t wait to see what you create.
To find out more about the process, guidelines and how to submit your Osmium Visionary Contest application, visit visionary-contest.osmium.com.
WORDS
Katerina Perez is a jewellery insider, journalist and brand consultant with more than 15 years’ experience in the jewellery sector. Paris-based, Katerina has worked as a freelance journalist and content editor since 2011, writing articles for international publications. To share her jewellery knowledge and expertise, Katerina founded this website and launched her @katerina_perez Instagram in 2013.
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