13 November 2026

Richard Kappeller Wins Jewellery Piece of the Year at Schmuckstars 2026

The transparent Schmuckstars trophy held during the 2026 awards ceremony

Image: The Schmuckstars trophy, designed by Viennese goldsmith Stefan Neuwirth and manufactured in Austria, presented at the 2026 awards ceremony in Vienna. © Stefan Joham

Quick Read

• Salzburg-based craftsman Richard Kappeller won the 2026 Jewellery Piece of the Year award with his creation Rooted in Diversity.
• The award was presented on 9 November 2026 at the Park Hyatt Vienna, as part of the annual Schmuckstars Awards.
• Kappeller is best known as a knife maker. He has been working in this field since 2002 and added goldsmithing and jewellery design to his craft more recently.
• His winning piece interprets the theme 'United in Diversity' through different faces connected by an intricate structure of gold, gemstones and crystallised titanium.
• The winner was selected through a combination of an expert jury's assessment and a live audience vote.

The Austrian jewellery and watch industry met in Vienna on 9 November for the 2026 Schmuckstars Awards. One of the evening's highlights was the presentation of the Jewellery Piece of the Year award to Salzburg-based craftsman Richard Kappeller. His creation, Rooted in Diversity, was selected from six finalists. The award recognises an unusual combination of traditional goldsmithing, technical experimentation and a message about the value of human differences.

Schmuckstars: Recognition for Austrian Jewellery Craft

Initiated by Christian P. Lerner, Schmuckstars was launched in 2018, with its first awards ceremony taking place in 2019. The annual event aims to give greater visibility to Austrian jewellers, watch specialists and independent craftspeople. Its focus is not limited to the design of individual objects: retail quality, customer service, specialist expertise and the preservation of traditional skills are also part of its programme. The award categories have changed over the years to reflect different aspects of the industry. In 2026, seven awards were presented, including Jeweller of the Year, Gold and Silversmith of the Year, Wedding Ring Specialist of the Year, Young Talent of the Year, Artistic Costume Jewellery and the Public Award for Arts and Crafts. The Jewellery Piece of the Year is a separate creative competition in which Austrian goldsmiths interpret a designated annual theme.

This year's other winners included Juwelier Schützenhofer from Villach (Jeweller of the Year), Elisabeth Habig from Vienna (Gold and Silversmith of the Year), Goldschmiede Juwelier Eder from Feldbach (Wedding Ring Specialist of the Year), Maximilian Beck from Vienna (Young Talent of the Year) and Margarete Zelinsky from Vienna (Public Award for Arts and Crafts). The Artistic Costume Jewellery award went also to Richard Kappeller from Salzburg (image on Instagram).

Six Designs, One Theme: United in Diversity

The 2026 Jewellery Piece of the Year competition took its inspiration from the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Under the theme United in Diversity, six finalists presented individually designed pieces made in Austria. The selection process combined public participation and professional assessment. An online vote helped determine the finalists, while the final decision was made through a combination of the expert jury's evaluation and a live audience vote at the gala. The jury was chaired by jewellery and watch journalist Ines B. Kasparek.

Kappeller's Rooted in Diversity translates the theme into a sculptural composition of different faces emerging from a shared network of 750-carat yellow gold. A black precious opal, diamonds, sapphires and crystallised titanium add contrasting colours, surfaces and material qualities. The faces retain their individual character while remaining connected through the gold structure (image on Instagram).

From Knife Making to Goldsmithing

Kappeller's route into jewellery is particularly interesting because goldsmithing was not his original profession. He established his knife-making business in 2002, developing a specialist workshop in Salzburg. The company later expanded to include a shop in the Getreidegasse in Salzburg and another in Vienna's Rauhensteingasse. His interest in precious materials and detailed metalwork gradually led him towards jewellery. In 2021, he trained as a diamond appraiser in Antwerp. The experience provided a foundation for exploring gemstones and their combination with metals beyond the traditional materials used in knife making. He subsequently qualified as a master gold- and silversmith. The transition brought together two disciplines that share an appreciation of precision, material knowledge and individual craftsmanship. Kappeller's award-winning work demonstrates how techniques and experience from one field can inform another. Winning the Jewellery Piece of the Year title after only a relatively short period of developing his jewellery practice is a notable achievement.