In accordance with the regulations on awarding the „Amber Booker of the Year” title, it is granted by the Chapter, which comprises: Amber Bookers of the Century, Honorary Members of the Association: Prof. Dr. Hab. Barbara Kosmowska-Ceranowicz and Mgr Wiesław Gierłowski, Amber Bookers of the Years 1999-2010: Mariusz Drapikowski (1999), Kazimieras Mizgiris (2001), Ewa Rachoń (2002), Adam Pstrągowski (2003), Wojciech Kalandyk (2004), Marek Gutowski (2005), Andrzej Wiszniewski (2006), Dr. Elżbieta Sontag (2007), Regina Kramarska (2008), Prof. Dr. Hab. Sławomir Fijałkowski (2009), Anna Sado (2010), Lucjan Myrta (2011). (The Amber Booker of the Year 2000 was the late Prof. Jan Koteja).
This title is awarded for outstanding achievements in the fields of: artistic creativity, scientific research and popularisation of amber knowledge, technical progress, economic efficiency, social work within the amber enthusiasts' community, and for collecting natural specimens and amber artefacts.
Tomasz Mikołajczyk
He has been working in the amber industry for over 20 years. He trained as a jeweller, and amber quickly became his passion. His admiration for this unique stone and the jewellery adorned with it gave rise to the idea of creating – first and foremost – the now defunct Mikołajczyki Gallery in Kraków's Cloth Hall, featuring innovative, unique jewellery by the best Polish designers and companies, and a network of BORUNI / Mikołajczyki Amber salons in selected Polish cities. Currently, these are located only in Kraków, where you can purchase selected amber jewellery from leading Polish producers and designers. As the owner, he places great importance on commercial integrity and the training of sales staff.
Over these two decades of operation, he has become known as a businessman, but also a lover of amber – especially unique sculptures, designer jewellery, and interesting shapes. The result of his passion is not only a unique collection of Baltic gold products built over the years, but above all the Amber Portal amber.com.pl, of which he is the originator and owner. The aim of the Portal, established in 2007, is to spread knowledge about amber and present contemporary Polish amber jewellery design. One of the more important tasks is also education – not only of the end customer, but also of manufacturers and sellers. For over 6 years, the Amber Portal has become a veritable treasury of knowledge about amber. The virtual lexicon dedicated to amber (Resources tab) represents immense substantive value, where one can find much useful and accessible information, ranging from the genesis of amber and its properties, through selected issues from history, to contemporary production and museum collections. The news section, which chronicles the most important amber-related events, especially trade fairs, exhibitions, presentations, and competitions, is also invaluable. From the very beginning of its existence, emphasis has been placed on reliable, expert knowledge – a high level of content has been guaranteed by cooperation with recognized representatives of the amber, museum, and scientific communities, as well as with amber organisations, museum establishments, institutions, and trade fair organisers.
Tomasz Mikołajczyk’s immense contribution to the broad promotion of amber (as well as Gdańsk – the Amber Capital of the World) was appreciated with the Medal of the President of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz (2009), and the Crystal Medal of the International Amber Association (2011).
Mariusz Gliwinski
Mariusz Gliwiński has been active in the amber industry since the late 1970s and has made a significant contribution to its development, primarily in promoting amber and modern design of jewellery adorned with it. He is a goldsmith and amber craftsman (second generation), a designer, co-founder and long-time president (currently in his second term as vice-president) of the International Amber Association, a member of the World Amber Council from 2006-2012 (founding member), and a member of the Association of Goldsmiths. He is also a laureate and judge of many goldsmithing and design competitions. In 2002, he was awarded the prestigious Minister of Economy Award for the Best Product of the Gold Silver Time Fair, also for his overall achievements and promotion of Polish design on foreign markets.
Mariusz Gliwiński is the owner of the Ambermoda studio and gallery in Sopot, which, in addition to its commercial nature, is an important venue for promoting amber and showcasing designer jewellery exhibitions. He is known in the industry as the initiator and participant in many educational initiatives and projects popularising amber. The distinctive design of his creations and his individual approach to working with amber have won him many fans, and his jewellery has been noticed and appreciated in the world of fashion, previously largely closed off to this gemstone, both in Poland and abroad. He has participated in important fashion events such as Warsaw Fashion Street and Sopot Fashion Days on numerous occasions, promoting modern amber jewellery designs. His collections have also been repeatedly presented at cyclical exhibitions organised by PAIiIZ (Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency) entitled „Designed in Poland” (recipient of the PAIiIZ President's Award in 2007 and 2009), and have often graced the fashion shows accompanying these exhibitions.
The modern image of amber promoted by him also gained recognition abroad: Ambermoda was one of the first Polish companies to be featured in the prestigious Stylemakers and Design Center sections at the JCK jewellery trade fair in Las Vegas. Last year, Mariusz Gliwiński participated in the Baltic Amber Festival project in Hong Kong, promoting Baltic amber in the local market.
Thanks to all these activities, the Ambermoda brand is growing into an ambassador for Polish amber jewellery design worldwide, and its owner – through numerous exhibitions, shows, participation in trade fairs and competitions – is consistently shaping the perception of amber as an exclusive and unique value.
The GOBIC Amber Personality of the Year 2012 awards ceremony will take place at the Amberif trade fair on Thursday, 21st March at 3:30 PM.