Susy Gubelin, Tom Moses Join in the Judging of the JNA Awards

Susy Gubelin and Tom Moses

Susy Gubelin of the Gubelin Gem Lab and Tom Moses, Gemological Institute of America senior VP, Laboratory and Research, have become gem expert advisors to the panel of judges of the JNA Awards 2012. Their expertise will be used specifically on the "Wonder of the World" category, which recognizes rare and precious natural gem material.

Judging for the "Wonder of the World" category will take place on September 19 and the recipient of the award will be announced during the JNA Awards ceremony and gala dinner on September 20 at the The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. GIA and the Gubelin Gem Lab will be the official gem testing laboratories for this category.

“To have the world's two leading gem laboratories advising the JNA Awards judging panel attests to the importance and recognition of this award in the international gemstone industry,” said Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development - Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, and the Chair of the JNA Awards judging panel.

At the ceremony, JNA will also be honoring Nicky Oppenheimer, former chairman of De Beers Group, with a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his significant contribution to the global diamond business, particularly in Asia.

The shortlisted honorees for the first nine categories of the JNA Awards were announced on the first day of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The JNA Awards is an industry-wide event that honors and recognizes excellence and achievement in the jewelry trade. The event, the first of its kind in Asia, is organized by Jewellery News Asia of UBM Asia in collaboration with UBM Awards.

The JNA Awards 2012 is a ticketed event by application only. Interested parties may submit their request by logging onto www.JNAawards.com.

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page and on Twitter  @JewelryNewsNet.

JNN to Return to the September Hong Kong Fair

Once again I’ll be attending the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, the largest fine jewelry tradeshow in the world. It’s an event that has grown so large it is now held at two separate venues:

* The Asia World-Expo next to Hong Kong International Airport for diamonds, colored gemstones, pearls and equipment will be held September 19-23; and

* The Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, in the Wan Chai district overlooking Victoria Harbor for finished jewelry, September 21-25.

The combined exhibition space totals more than 1.4 million square feet. For the first time since the show was expanded to two venues, I will attend the Asia World-Expo portion of the show.

In 2011, the show saw 16 percent growth in attendance to 51,500 industry professionals from 155 countries and regions who had a chance to look at the products and services of more than 3,450 vendors from 46 countries. Obviously, the draw is the high-growth Asian market led by China. Hong Kong bills itself as the gateway to the economic powerhouse.

Luxury, designer and mass-produced and antique jewelry will be on display using all known jewelry making materials, including, a pavilion dedicated to jadeite, extremely popular in China.

One of the new additions to the show is free digital marketing workshops. Presentations will include know-how and practical tips but also statistics and data taken from JewelleryNetAsia’s original research and analytics.

Another new focus is The JNA Awards, an industry-wide event that honors and recognizes excellence and achievement in the global jewelry trade with an Asian focus. The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held on September 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. The awards are organized by Jewellery News Asia in collaboration with the UBM Awards.

I am looking forward to seeing the luxury and designer jewelry coming out of Asia to see how much it has grown and changed from last year. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page and on Twitter  @JewelryNewsNet.

Shortlist for the JNA Awards Announced

The shortlisted honorees in nine categories for the inaugural JNA Awards were announced at a press conference held on the first day of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“"The caliber of entries submitted to the inaugural JNA Awards was remarkable. Making the honoree list is a fantastic achievement for all the companies involved,” said Letitia Chow, founder of Jewellery News Asia and director of Business Development—Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, and chair of the JNA Awards judging panel.

The following individuals and companies have been selected for the honoree list of the inaugural JNA Awards 2012:

Three Decades of Excellence Award:

* Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd from Hong Kong
* Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt Ltd from India
* Kashi Jewellers from India
* Nelson Jewellery Arts Co Ltd from Hong Kong

Brand of the Year:

* Cartier from Switzerland
* Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd from Hong Kong
* TTF from mainland China

Employer of the Year:

* Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd from Hong Kong
* Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt Ltd from India

Industry Innovation of the Year -- Manufacturing:

* K.S. Jewelry International Co Ltd from Thailand
* Kiran Exports Hong Kong Ltd from Hong Kong
* Nelson Jewellery Arts Co Ltd from Hong Kong
* TTF from mainland China

Industry Innovation of the Year -- Retail:

* Plukka (HK) Ltd from Hong Kong

Manufacturer of the Year:

* Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt Ltd from India
* KGK Jewellery Manufacturing Limited from Hong Kong
* Kiran Exports Hong Kong Ltd from Hong Kong
* Pranda Group from Thailand

Retailer of the Year:

* Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co, Ltd from Hong Kong
* Luk Fook Holdings (International) Limited from Hong Kong
* Sterling Jewelers Inc from the USA

Sustainability Initiative of the Year:

* Jewelmer International Corporation from the Philippines

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

* L' Dezen Jewellery Co Ltd from Hong Kong
* Leibish & Co Ltd from Israel
* The Inspired Collection from New Zealand

The Wonder of the World category, which is open only to AsiaWorld-Expo exhibitors during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2012, will be accepting entries until July 27. The recipient of the award will be announced during the JNA Awards ceremony on September 20.

The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award will be selected by the main organizers and will be announced at a later date.

Rio Tinto, Chow Tai Fook, Robert Wan Tahiti, Israel Diamond Institute and the Shanghai Diamond Exchange are leading the event as JNA Awards 2012 (www.JNAawards.com) partners.

The JNA Awards is an industry-wide event that honors and recognizes excellence and achievement in the global jewellery trade with an Asian focus. The Awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held on 20 September 2012, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. The event, the first of its kind in Asia, is organized by Jewellery News Asia of UBM Asia in collaboration with the UBM Awards.

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.

Judges named for JNA Awards

From left: Albert Cheng, MD of World Gold Council - Far East, James Courage, CEO of Platinum Guild International, Matthew Runci, president & CEO of Jewelers of America, and Wilson Yuen, president of International Colored Gemstone Association

Jewellery News Asia, has revealed the names of the international panel of jewelry industry experts who will serve as judges for the JNA Awards.

The panel consists of:

Albert Cheng, managing director, World Gold Council - Far East
James Courage, CEO, Platinum Guild International UK Ltd
Matthew Runci, president and CEO, Jewelers of America
Wilson Yuen, president, International Colored Gemstone Association

"It is exciting to have these authoritative leaders representing various sectors of the industry and different corners of the world serving as judges in our inaugural event," said Letitia Chow, founder of Jewellery News Asia and director of business development. "It is important that the process is robust, transparent and intellectually rigorous."

The JNA Awards is an industry-wide event that honors and recognizes excellence and achievement in the Asian jewelry trade. The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held on September 20, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. The event, the first of its kind in Asia, is organized by Jewellery News Asia, a subsidiary of UBM Asia, in collaboration with UBM Awards.

The competition is open for entries until May 4. Interested parties may obtain details on the award categories, rules of entry, judging criteria and judging process by logging on to www.JNAawards.com. Entry forms are available online.

JNA Awards Categories are:

* 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

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