SLGJA calls for submissions for SL Jewellery Design Awards 2015

Wednesday, 4 March 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Environment Collection In a bid to harness and hone talent in the Gem and Jewellery sector, the Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Association has launched the Jewellery Design Awards for the fourth successive year. The winners will be awarded at a ceremony on 3 September at the BMICH. The designers who participate would have four categories to choose from, with three categories allotted for Sri Lankan residents, while the fourth category would be for the international designers. The international winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to visit the Facets show in September 2015 and the Sri Lankan winners would receive an all-expenses paid trip to the Bangkok Jewellery Show in Thailand in February 2016. Sri Lanka Jewellery Design Awards Chairman Sellakumar Kandasamy stated that several new advances are being incorporated in the fourth year of the award: “SLGJA is dedicated to taking this industry forward and this award is part of that vision. We have decided to elevate the standards and incorporate design more integrally and a design mentoring program to ensure our semi-finalists gets the right education and guidance; for this, we have tied up with the acclaimed AOD international design campus whose international design faculty will be part of the mentoring program.” The competition would be held in two stages for the local participant with a preliminary round followed by a design mentoring program for semi-finalists and a final round where the selected finalists have the opportunity to manufacture the pieces themselves or partner with jewellery makers who will manufacture and exhibit their piece. The categories include gold/silver (metal based jewellery with no stones), diamond jewellery and coloured stone jewellery.

Octopus Collection The award is also opening a new international category which will be judged independently to the local category. Kandasamy further stated that the purpose of this is to promote the Sri Lankan Blue Sapphire among international jewellery designers and to give them a chance to work with local jewellery makers. Elaborating further on the contribution from the Government, he said: “The Export Development Board is supportive of this endeavour, especially in providing international exposure to the local winners and bringing the international winner to Sri Lanka in an attempt to promote the Sri Lankan Blue Sapphire to the international jewellery designing fraternity.”

AOD Principal Karen MacLeod issuing a statement said that that AOD is delighted to be part of the award as the ‘Design Knowledge Partner’: “AOD is a pro-industry campus, we believe that we should work hand in hand with industry so that our joint mission of having industry-ready designers in the future becomes a reality. The outcomes of integrating design knowledge into this award will benefit the entire industry and help elevate the standards to a great level.” The closing date for submissions is 27 March. The completed applications along with the designs can be submitted in sealed envelopes to The Chairman, Sri Lanka Jewellery Design Awards 2015, Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Association (SLGJA), 38 Frankfurt Place, Colombo 4. For more information about the awards, judging process and the applications, log on to http://www.facetssrilanka.com/sljda2015.