Call for Entries for Inaugural JNA Awards

The inaugural JNA Awards, which honors and recognizes excellence and achievements in the jewelry trade with a focus on contribution and advancement in the Asian region, will be held during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair (September 19 – 25).

Award winners will be honored at a ceremony and gala dinner on September 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. The awards are organized by Jewellery News Asia, a subsidiary of UBM Asia, in collaboration with UBM Awards.

The event is calling for entries until May 4. Companies and individuals interested in submitting an application can visit www.JNAawards.com for entry forms and to obtain details on the awards categories, rules of entry, judging criteria and judging process.

JNA Awards Categories include:

* Manufacturer of the Year

* Retailer of the Year

* Employer of the Year

* Brand of the Year

* Industry Innovation of the Year—Manufacturing

* Industry Innovation of the Year—Retail

* Sustainability Initiative of the Year

* Young Leader of the Year (Age 30 or below)

* 3 Decades of Excellence Award

* Outstanding Contribution to the Industry of the Year

* Lifetime Achievement Award

* Wonder of the World Award

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Final Judges Named, Entries Deadline Extended for JNA Awards

New judges for the JNA Awards. From left: Lin Qiang, Biju Patnaik, Hidetaka Kato and Vichai Assarasakorn.

The final judges for the JNA Awards have been selected and the deadline for entries has been extended due to demand, said Jewellery News Asia, organizer of the inaugural event.

The awards, an industry-wide event that honors and recognizes excellence and achievement in the Asian jewelry trade, are open for entries until May 21. Interested parties may obtain details on the categories, rules of entry, judging criteria and judging process on the JNA Awards website.

The new members of the judging panel are: Lin Qiang, president and managing director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange; Biju Patnaik, regional head, Asia, International Diamond & Jewellery Group, ABN AMRO Group; Hidetaka Kato, honorary dean of the Tokyo Diamond Exchange; and Vichai Assarasakorn, secretary general of The Thai Chamber of Commerce & Board of Trade of Thailand.

With the new appointments, the panel is now comprised of eight of the most recognized names in the global gemstone and jewelry industry. The new judges join Albert Cheng, managing director, World Gold Council—Far East; James Courage, CEO, Platinum Guild International UK Ltd; Matthew Runci, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jewelers of America; and Wilson Yuen, president, International Colored Gemstone Association

“To receive support from such recognized names is an encouraging sign of the guaranteed success of our inaugural event,” said Letitia Chow, founder of Jewellery News Asia and director of Business Development—Jewellery Group at UBM Asia. “The high number of entries, urging us to extend the entries' deadline to 21 May, is also a good indication of the excellent feedback received from the industry.”

The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held on September 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. The event, the first of its kind in Asia, is organized by Jewellery News Asia of UBM Asia in collaboration with UBM Awards.

Rio Tinto, Chow Tai Fook, Robert Wan Tahiti, Israel Diamond Institute and the Shanghai Diamond Exchange are the leading partners for the event.

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Centurion 2014 Call for Entries for Emerging Designer Competition

Blue sapphire and diamond earrings by Sharart Design, one of last year's winners.

Entries are now being accepted for the sixth annual Centurion Emerging Designer Competition. Two winners will receive a showcase and exhibit space at the next Centurion Show. The invitation-only luxury jewelry tradeshow will be held Feb. 1-5, 2014, in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The competition is open to any jewelry designer who has never before exhibited in a U.S. fine jewelry tradeshow. It’s open to all designers, regardless of experience, formal training, or background in jewelry design, but entrants must show lines or one-of-a-kind designs that are suitable for a luxury jewelry store environment and be capable of both exhibiting at a trade show and fulfilling any wholesale orders received at the show.

Deadline for entry is September 30. Entrants are required to submit up to three images of finished jewelry; no renderings or CAD drawings will be accepted. Images must be .jpg format, and each image must include a detailed description of the piece and the materials used (metals, gemstones, etc.). Entries will be judged by a special panel, as well as by Centurion’s Board of Retail Advisors.

For more information and to access the entry form, follow this link:

The competition is sponsored by Stuller, a Lafayette, La., jewelry manufacturing and distribution business and a domestic and international wholesale jewelry supplier.

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