HONG KONG, 26 October 2021 – The 2021 Jewellery World Awards (JWA), formerly known as JNA Awards, unveiled its highly anticipated roster of Honourees for its tenth edition. Following this announcement, the 2021 JWA will also stage its three-part webinar series under “Leading Through Changes and Uncertainty,” sponsored by Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ).
Organised by Informa Markets Jewellery since 2012, JWA is the only business awards programme that covers the entire mine-to-market pipeline of the international jewellery and gemstone industry. It promotes and celebrates excellence, innovation and best business practices in the global trade – regardless of a participant’s scale of operations, field of expertise and geographical location.
The esteemed panel of independent judges spent the last few weeks reviewing and assessing entries from 10 countries and regions, across five continents. In the end, 33 entries were shortlisted as Honourees from a highly-qualified pool of entries.
Proving that new ideas and adaptability were vital in moving the industry forward, Industry Innovation of the Year continued to be the most popular category – garnering the most number of entries of the eight categories. This was followed by the Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – APAC, which demonstrated the region’s robust growth, agility and adaptability.
Letitia Chow, Chairperson and founder of JWA at Informa Markets Jewellery, said, “Despite the ongoing challenges brought by the pandemic, we are encouraged by the responses and number of participants this year, with a third being first-time entrants. Through this programme, we hope to highlight and bring out the positives of the trade, as we continue to promote the core values of innovation and excellence.”
Among the experts who served as judges in this year’s competition are James Courage, former Chief Executive of Platinum Guild International (PGI) and former Chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC); Albert Cheng, CEO of Singapore Bullion Market Association and International Advisor of Shanghai Gold Exchange; Lin Qiang, President and Managing Director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE); Dr. Mark Lee, Research Director of Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS); and Nirupa Bhatt, Senior Advisor to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) India.
“Entrants this year have showcased the industry’s ability to protect and support the workforce in the time of COVID-19. Their innovative approach in utilising online channels to reach out to customers also has helped them navigate these challenging times,” Courage shared.
Cheng said, “I am happy to see that most participants reported steady sales revenues in the past three years, except for a slight dip in 2019. Indeed, the jewellery industry has demonstrated resilience in the time of the pandemic. I am also pleasantly surprised with their prompt and creative responses in tackling obstacles, as well as with their ability to identify and pursue new opportunities.”
“As one of the judges, I noticed how important the JWA is to the international jewellery industry. Whether they’re startups or large enterprises, those who participated made each category highly competitive with their unique strategies and breakthroughs – making it very difficult for the panel to choose this year’s Honouree,” Lin remarked.
Dr. Lee noted that “COVID-19 further accelerated the industry’s digital transformation, and proved itself essential, not just for growth, but also for survival. I was impressed to see the candidates’ passion, innovative approach and their contributions despite the challenging conditions before them. Innovation and sustainable strategies are very important in this rapidly changing world, and this year’s entrants brought these to the forefront at JWA.”
Bhatt also commended the entrants’ efforts in engaging customers and their use of technology. “Not only is the industry resilient, it is also unstoppable when it comes to reaching out to its customers. As seen in this year’s entries, technology is a big enabler, especially in the last two years when manufacturers in the jewellery business continued to engage consumers by incorporating technology into their marketing strategies,” she said.
The 2021 JWA Ceremony and Gala Dinner will be held at JGT Dubai (Jewellery Gem Technology Dubai) on 21 February 2022, Monday. JGT Dubai is a joint premium exhibition by Informa Markets Jewellery – the world’s largest B2B jewellery fairs organiser – and Italian Exhibition Group SpA (IEG).
The 2021 JWA is supported by Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group and Shanghai Diamond Exchange, alongside Honoured Partners KGK Group and Guangdong Land (Shenzhen) Ltd.
For full list of JWA 2021 Honourees: please visit www.JWAwards.com/results.
