Janet Weller Wins GC&DC 2D Hand Rendering Award Sponsored by Sheffield Assay Office
Published: 11th March 2026
Sara Hale, Head of Commercial Operations, Sheffield Assay Office and Ed Butler Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths presenting the GC&DC 2D Hand Rendering Award to winner Janet Weller at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London.
Sheffield Assay Office was pleased to present the 2D Hand Rendering Award at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC) Awards Ceremony, held on Monday 9 March at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London.
The GC&DC Awards are among the most respected honours in the UK jewellery, silversmithing and allied crafts industries, recognising excellence in craftsmanship, technical skill and design. The annual ceremony brings together designers, makers, apprentices and industry leaders to celebrate outstanding achievement and to champion the future of British craft.
Sheffield Assay Office is proud to support the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council by sponsoring the 2D Hand Rendering Award, a category that highlights the enduring importance of traditional design drawing within the jewellery industry. While digital tools are widely used today, the ability to communicate a design through beautifully executed hand rendering remains a vital skill for jewellery designers. Judges consider both artistic quality and the clarity and technical accuracy with which a design is presented.
This year the award was presented by Sara Hale, Head of Commercial Operations at Sheffield Assay Office, alongside Ed Butler, Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths Company.
The 2026 winner of the 2D Hand Rendering Award was Janet Weller, recognised for her exceptional entry titled “The King’s Assay Master’s Pyx Jewel and The Royal Mint.” Her beautifully detailed hand-rendered design combines artistic excellence with technical precision, presenting a striking ceremonial jewel centred on a lion medallion suspended from a royal blue and gold ribbon. The submission also included supporting technical drawings and development work, demonstrating both creative vision and a strong understanding of jewellery construction.
Below: Winning entry: “The King’s Assay Master’s Pyx Jewel and The Royal Mint” – hand-rendered jewellery design by Janet Weller, winner of the 2026 GC&DC 2D Hand Rendering Award.
The evening was a wonderful celebration of creativity and craftsmanship across the UK’s jewellery, silversmithing and allied trades, and Sheffield Assay Office is proud to support initiatives that recognise and encourage excellence in these highly skilled crafts.
Photo credits: Julia Skupny.
The Sheffield Assay Office was established in 1773, under an Act of Parliament and today the company assays and hallmarks the precious metals - silver, gold, platinum and palladium. Sheffield Assay Office is one of only four UK assay offices who all work to uphold the Hallmarking Act of 1973 and continue to ensure consumer protection for customers purchasing precious metals.
To find out more about the whole range of services offered by Sheffield Assay Office, such as our hallmarking and analytical services, please email us at info@assayoffice.co.uk or complete the contact form on our website at http://www.assayoffice.co.uk/contact-us ,
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