The Milan World Expo Hall was one of the top-tier exhibition halls in Milan. The entire building was constructed in Gothic and Baroque-style and was full of historic flavor. Reflecting heavy Catholic influences, the high-arch ceilings, stained glass windows, and magnificent statues were all sumptuously beautiful.
The inside of the hall was built in classic Baroque-style and was like a luxurious palace. Exquisite carvings were etched into the high ceilings, while numerous luminous lamps adorned the mosaic edges. The stained glasses in the windows were all colorful depictions of Bible stories.
There were four large columns all covered in intricately beautiful flower-and-leaf carvings. The ornate and palatial decor of the entire hall exhibited Italy’s tremendous wealth.
At two in the afternoon, the Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition officially began.
It was a full house in the spacious Milan World Expo Hall, with all the elite gathered there!
To ensure fairness of the competition, the design drawings submitted by the competitors would be judged first and a preliminary ranking would be given.
The final rankings would be based on the eventual product presented three days later.
The hosts of the grand finals were two of the most important figures within the Milan World Expo Association. They were highly regarded in the world of jewelry design.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition. Thank you for taking the time to attend this world-renowned event.
“As the world economy continues to boom, people have raised their standards of living and the demand for luxury goods has increased exponentially. The Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition was born of this need to adapt to the changing times.
“It has been 30 years since the first Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition was held. We thank everyone for the support and interest they have given us. Let me now announce the official start to the 11th Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition.”
Exuberant cheers and enthusiastic applause resonated across the entire hall. Everyone was full of eager anticipation for this international competition.
The thunderous applause continued for about 30 seconds before gradually subsiding.
An animated smile spread across the host’s face. “Of course, the very first people we must thank are our jewelry design competitors. The Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition event is only made possible because of your talents.”
This triggered another round of energetic applause.
“After four long months of intense competition, the grand finals of the Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition has finally arrived. We witnessed round after round of cruel eliminations to see the emergence of our 10 jewelry design grand finalists—the most talented and outstanding of them all.”
Applause once again erupted.
To further enliven the crowd, the host pointed his microphone toward the audience. “Please shout out the name of your favorite grand finalist!”
The atmosphere was instantly electrified.
Various languages, including English, French, German and Russian, filled the entire hall.
Names of the competitors were fervently called out, displaying the zeal and anticipation of the audience for this event.
The host halted the crowd’s enthusiastic response before continuing. “Now, let us invite the 10 grand finalists on stage. Please give a warm welcome to them!”
Cheers and applause filled the hall as the atmosphere reached a dynamic peak.
Amid the ebullient whooping, Wen Xinya followed the other competitors onto the stage. Bright lights suddenly focused on them, casting them in a brilliant glow. The reporters by the side of the stage were enveloped in a photo-taking frenzy as they eagerly recorded this historical moment.
Of the 10 competitors, there were six females and four males. There were more women in the profession of jewelry design, but men usually surpassed them in terms of achievements and longevity of career.
The host shouted into his microphone. “Are you all excited to see your favorite jewelry designers?”
“Yes!” Tumultuous cheers echoed through the hall.
The host smiled. “I am also very excited as I am now witnessing the birth of a great jewelry designer who will be leading the next wave of jewelry design trends. May I invite the designers on stage to please introduce themselves.”
From right to left, they each took turns.
The 10 grand finalists all came from different countries. There were a total of three oriental faces—Shen Siwen, Wen Xinya, and another American-born Chinese.
Standing amongst the other towering competitors, the three of them looked especially distinctive. Both the host and the audience couldn’t help stealing a few more glances at them.
Wen Xinya was wearing an elegant oriental wrap dress, which exuded the mysterious grace of a bygone era. It had a refined loveliness that was very eye-catching.
Due to her height, she was positioned right in the center of the line of competitors.
Very quickly, it was her turn to introduce herself. The host stood beside her. “Ladies and gentlemen, this lovely lady from the east standing right beside me is the youngest competitor this year. Just 21 years old, she is now standing on the stage of the grand finals by virtue of her exceptional jewelry design talents. Will this young lady please introduce yourself.”
The host handed his microphone to Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya was one of the hot favorites in this grand finals, with the media following her closely. As a result, the reporters were taking countless photos of her.
Wen Xinya took a step forward. Her light blue, flowered wrap dress swayed under the bright lights, as she radiated a soft and gentle beauty. “Hello, everyone. I am Wen Xinya, one of the grand finalists of the Milan World Expo International Jewelry Design Competition. To me, the words ‘soul’ and ‘meaning’ are the embodiment of jewelry design. I hope everyone will give me their support.”
Thunderous applause and cheers erupted right after Wen Xinya completed her self-introduction. The entire hall was filled with repeated chants of her name in all the various accents.
Wen Xinya had produced astonishing results all the way from the preliminaries to the finals. Her multi-faceted designs and youthful age made her the most closely-watched competitor by all. With her god-given designing talents, she had managed to steal the hearts of a large number of supporters.
