JNA Awards Adds Five Categories

Jewellery News Asia has expanded the list of categories for the second edition of its JNA Awards.

At a recently held press conference, JNA announced that the 2013 Awards will be bestowed across 16 categories, compared to 11 in its inaugural edition last year.

The JNA Awards recognizes and honors excellence and innovation in the jewelry industry, with a focus on companies and individuals that have made significant contributions to the trade in Asia.

The current list of awards categories for 2013 is as follows:

* Brand of the Year - Retail
* Employer of the Year
* Industry Innovation of the Year - Manufacturing - Business
* Industry Innovation of the Year - Manufacturing - Technology
* Manufacturer of the Year - Diamond Cutting and Polishing
* Manufacturer of the Year - Colored Gemstone Cutting & Polishing
* Manufacturer of the Year - Gem-set Jewellery
* Manufacturer of the Year - Precious Metal Only Jewellery
* Retailer of the Year
* E-tailer of the Year
* Outstanding Enterprise of the year - Mainland China
* Outstanding Enterprise of the year - India
* Outstanding Contribution of the year
* Store design of the Year
* Sustainability Initiative of the Year
* Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Companies and individuals may submit entries on behalf of themselves or others from mid-March to mid-May. The first stage of the judging process will begin in mid-May and end in mid-June. On 20 June the honorees or shortlisted candidates will be announced. The honorees and recipients will be feted at a gala dinner and presentation ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong on  September 12 during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2013.

The launch event was hosted by Wolfram Diener, senior VP of UBM Asia Ltd; Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development - Jewellery Group at UBM Asia; and representatives of the awards' headline partners, including Rita Maltez, manager Greater China Representative Office, Diamonds Sales and Marketing at Rio Tinto Diamonds; and Kent Wong, managing director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited.

The JNA Awards 2013 is led by Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook as Headline Partners, with Gubelin, Israel Diamond Institute, KARP Group, Robert Wan Tahiti and the Shanghai Diamond Exchange as Honored Partners. An international group of prominent industry experts will form the judging panel.

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