JNA Jewellery Design Competition fetes winners and finalists of 2018/19 edition

HONG KONG,Sept. 23,2019 -- JNA recognised the winners and finalists of its inaugural JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018/19 in a prize presentation ceremony on 18 September 2019 during the Fair Reception of the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2019 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Organised by JNA of Informa Markets,the competition celebrates creativity,innovation and excellence in jewellery design.

The JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018/19 announced one Champion and four Merit recipients in each of its three categories during the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. At the prize presentation ceremony,renowned jewellery designer Fei Liu,who chaired the judging panel,called to the stage the Champions and Merit recipients to receive their trophies.

Crossfor CEO Hidetaka Dobashi presents the Champion trophy for the Dancing Stone Category to Mami Ochiai’s representative Nobuyuki Horiuchi

In the Dancing Stone category sponsored by Crossfor Co Ltd,participants were required to incorporate the innovative and patented Dancing Stone mechanism in their design entries,with the theme "New Fashion Tech." Crossfor Co Ltd CEO Hidetaka Dobashi presented the trophies for the category.

Mami Ochiai from Japan was named Champion for her spectacular Heptagram jewellery design. "I am honoured to receive such a prestigious prize. My design embodies my wish for peace and happiness on earth," she remarks. "The Heptagram is a seven-point star drawn with seven straight strokes. It is a symbol of perfection,light,eternity,perpetuity and victory as well as the seven notes of music,the seven colours of the rainbow,the seven alchemical metals and the seven days of the week. Seven is a lucky and mystical number traditionally associated with Venus. The mysterious Heptagram combined with Japanese cutting-edge technology and traditional craftsmanship is a perfect representation of 'New Fashion Tech,'" adds Ochiai,who was represented at the ceremony by Nobuyuki Horiuchi.

The Merit recipients in the Dancing Stone category are Sanat Karmakar from Egypt,Ming Cheng Hsiao from Taiwan,Allison Ice from the USA and Wang Zi Ting fromMainland China.

PGI’s Tai Wong,Platinum Merit recipients Chin Ban Loke,Liu Fu Wei,Stanley Ho representing Shi Xiao Yu,Champion Liang Fan,and judging panel chair Fei Liu

The Platinum category,sponsored by Platinum Guild International (PGI),had participants produce entries reflecting the theme,"Platinum Attitude." Liang Fan ofMainland China emerged as Champion for his remarkable piece,Star Lingers.

According to Fan,his design was inspired by a famous Chinese song that compares the universality and ever-presence of love to the relationship between stars and clouds. "Only when the sky gets darker can the brilliance of stars be seen and appreciated. Using a simple modern style with layers,my design alludes to this beautiful starry concept to evoke a sense of peace and romance," he explains.

Fan along with Merit recipients Chin Ban Loke from Malaysia and Liu Fu Wei fromMainland China received their trophies from PGI Business Development Director Tai Wong. Merit recipients Meng Fan Hua and Shi Xiao Yu fromMainland China were unable to attend the ceremony.

Champion Alessio Boschi (third from left) and Merit recipient Eugene YJ Chen (fourth from right) at the JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018-19 prize presentation ceremony

Sponsored by the Tahitian Pearl Association Hong Kong (TPAHK),the Tahitian Pearl category asked contestants to submit their design interpretation of the theme,"Asymmetric Perfection." Trophies were presented by TPAHK Co-Presidents Amy Yan and Johnny Cheng,and TPAHK Honorary Life Founding President & Supervisor Chan Ming Wing.

Alessio Boschi from Italy was declared Champion for his exceptional "The Leonidas Man" set. The intricately adorned men's necklace is an homage to the Spartan warrior-king Leonidas,with each detail laden with symbolic ties to different eras of Ancient Greece and its bejewelled artifacts. Boschi says,"The design is bold,daring and masculine yet full of intricate details. The real protagonists are the Tahitian pearls with their different shapes and mesmerising shades from dark silver to peacock nuances. I personally handpicked the most suitable shapes,sizes and colours in order to underscore the Ancient Greek themes that are the background and inspiration behind this masterpiece."

Merit recipient Eugene YJ Chen from Taiwan attended the ceremony. Chen Hui Ci was represented by Katie Cheng of Man Sang Jewellery (Hong Kong) Ltd,while Rebecca Cheng of Rio Pearl accepted the trophies for Shahrzad Givi from Iran and Rozaliya Nicheva from Bulgaria.

Informa Markets Director of Jewellery Fairs Celine Lau presented plaques of appreciation to the JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018/19's three sponsors,represented by Crossfor Co Ltd's Hidetaka Dobashi,PGI's Tai Wong and TPAHK's Amy Yan,Johnny Cheng and Chan Ming Wing.

The JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018/19 attracted a total of 2,588 entries from jewellery designers and students from 39 countries and regions. For more information on the JNA Jewellery Design Competition 2018/19,visit www.jnadesigncompetition.com

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About JNA

JNA is the leading business resource on the international jewellery industry. The flagship publication of Informa Markets' Jewellery Group,the bimonthly,bilingual trade magazine delivers the most relevant,incisive and useful market information on the gem and jewellery industry around the world. JNA's integrated thought-leadership portfolio includes a stable of sectoral publications,digital products and platforms such as JewelleryNet.com,content marketing services and insightful industry events.

About Informa Markets

Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade,innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals,Infrastructure,Construction & Real Estate,Fashion & Apparel,Hospitality,Food & Beverage,and Health & Nutrition,among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage,experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions,specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser,we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life,unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information,please visit www.informamarkets.com.

Contact

Olivia Quiniquini

Marketing & Communications Manager

Jewellery Media

Informa Markets

E: Olivia.Quiniquini@Informa.com

T: +852 2516 1630

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