Ono Eno

I know that Big Brovaz say that diamonds are a gal's favourite thing, but with over 30 designers exhibiting some damn fine jewellery at Urbis, I'm afraid I was spoilt for choice with all the bling bling going on in the foyer (and believe me there wasn't a diamond in sight).

Over 75% of the jewellery on show provided the feel good factor that a gal needs from time to time. Although this is the 92nd time that Dazzle had exhibited in Manchester, this was the first time they had shown in Urbis which is a real departure from their usual gothic and more traditional setting of Manchester Town Hall.

Flourescent necklaces

Dazzle director Tony Gordon tells me that this is a more contemporary collection than usual, as its in support of up and coming young jewellery designers and also more suited to the sculptured semi obscured modern glass tower that we call Urbis.

Ann Littler silver and copper bracelet at £490 was reasonably priced and will more than suffice for those of us who cannot afford diamonds. Of the 32 designers showing, her work was my favourite. Ann is a Scottish designer who graduted from Edinburgh and received a Bursary in 1994 from the Royal Society of Arts to visit Peru. She tends to work in slate with gold, silver and base metal and in 2000 had a book "teach yourself jewellery making" published by Hodder and Stoughton.

Other eye catching pieces were Stockport's Gilly Langton fabricated precious metal pieces and also what looked (to me) like brightly coloured plastic pieces. This local lass in 1994 received a setting-up grant from the North West Arts Board and hasn't looked back since.

Of course, there were many other very exciting pieces there, but apparently there is plenty more where that comes from and that's why the exhibition returns simultaneously to Manchester Town Hall and London Royal Theatre in November 2003 - January 2004