AUTOR 2025, held on May 10–11 at Unirea Shopping Center in Bucharest, once again brought into focus the most talented contemporary jewelry designers, reaffirming the event’s role as a platform of excellence and artistic discovery. During the fair, six awards were granted to celebrate the diversity of artistic expression, material innovation, and the profound connection between jewelry and the human body.

Here are the winners of the

 AUTOR Awards 2025:

AUTOR Awesome Award → Victor Pavlov

Victor Pavlov creates jewelry that transcends function, exploring the boundaries between form, emotion, and technology. Inspired by natural elements that he transforms into objects through direct casting, the Bulgarian artist merges traditional metalworking techniques with advanced digital methods. His pieces challenge the conventional idea of jewelry and propose a deeper, more personal and socially engaged approach. A graduate of the National Academy of Arts in Sofia and a PhD holder in visual arts, Victor has a solid portfolio of solo and group exhibitions in Bulgaria and internationally. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists.

The AUTOR Awesome Award grants the winner the title of AUTOR Focus Artist for the next edition of the fair.

Alchimia Award → Blinda Manuela (LUN jewelry)

Blinda Manuela is a multidisciplinary artist – musician, sculptor, and jewelry designer – originally from Iohanisfeld, Timiș County. After a decade-long career in graphics and sculpture, she began exploring the language of jewelry in 2017, transforming her detailed pen drawings into wearable collections, primarily crafted from wood, combined with natural and metallic elements. Her jewelry is the result of a deep artistic process rooted in the sensitivity and strength of organic matter.
The Alchimia Award offers a two-week scholarship at the renowned Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School in Florence. This opportunity supports emerging jewelry artists in refining their skills and advancing their professional journey. Through this intensive course, students gain invaluable experience and mentorship from top Alchimia instructors, laying a solid foundation for their future careers.

Public Choice Award → Daniela Cățoi

Bucharest-based artist Daniela Cățoi creates porcelain jewelry that captures the fragile and often overlooked beauty of nature. A graduate of the National University of Arts in Bucharest, Daniela approached ceramics through a self-taught path, combining techniques, pigments, and colloidal gold in sensitive and elegant compositions. Her works are inspired by delicate vegetal details and supported by rigorous visual documentation or personal emotions. Already awarded at NOEL and Romanian Jewelry Week, Daniela now also wins the hearts of the AUTOR audience.

This award validates the artist’s popularity among fair visitors. The public votes through a ballot system, and the winner receives automatic access to the next edition of AUTOR and a 50% discount on the participation fee.

Uni.Versus Award → Sylvie Godel (syldavie)

Sylvie Godel lives and works in Lausanne, Switzerland. With an artistic vision that combines ceramics, writing, and relational art, she transforms jewelry into a means of connection and intimate expression. Her works explore ephemeral gestures – such as a handshake or the touch of palms – and materialize them through imprints, threads, and porcelain. Sylvie has been active in the art world for over 20 years, with works included in collections such as MUDAC (Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts). Through her project Le Salon de Sylvie, she creates alternative spaces for art and dialogue in the heart of the city.

The award provides extended exposure and promotional opportunities facilitated by Uni.Versus Art Room, an alternative contemporary jewelry gallery and creative center in Athens. Winners are granted a solo exhibition in the gallery space, increasing their visibility and access to a broader audience, and enhancing the recognition of their work.

Milano Fashion&Jewels Award → Raluca Buzura

With over 15 years of experience in ceramic jewelry, Raluca Buzura is one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Romanian jewelry. A graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca, Raluca has exhibited internationally – from the Museum of Art and Design in New York to Schmuck in Munich – and collaborated with the porcelain brand Lladró. Her monumental and conceptual pieces shift the perspective on jewelry, proving it can be a complex art form with depth and message.

The award grants the winner free entry to the next edition of the Milano Fashion&Jewels contemporary jewelry fair.

 Transylvania Jewelry Festival Award → Milton Stavrou

Offered for the first time at AUTOR, this award includes a solo exhibition at the Transylvania Jewelry Festival, taking place between October 9–17, 2025. The winner is Milton Stavrou, a young graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London. His collection, Cheap as Chips: Principles of a Fish Supper, is a poetic blend of memory, social class, and identity, inspired by his family’s history of running a British fish & chip shop. With a bold material approach – from amber and jade to anodized aluminum and camel bone – Milton creates objects that push the limits of jewelry and tell deeply personal and socially relevant stories.

The Transylvania Jewelry Festival exhibition will mark his first solo artistic presence in Romania.

Through these awards, AUTOR reaffirms its mission to support and promote relevant and authentic creation in contemporary jewelry.

AUTOR has been at the forefront of the contemporary jewelry movement in Romania for over 16 years, acting as an incubator that connects artists, designers, and entrepreneurs with the buying public. With each edition, AUTOR reaffirms its mission to support and promote relevant and authentic creation, offering awards that recognize excellence in contemporary jewelry.

Congratulations to all the winners for the vision, courage, and generosity with which they shape miniature worlds!