The group comprises Nicola Cerrone, managing director of Cerrone; TAFE jewellery manufacturing teacher Jane Foster; and jewellery designer Rhys Turner, who won the Jeweller of the Year and Coloured Gemstone categories at the 2014 JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards.
The diverse panel will be responsible for judging one of the four award categories, determining the winners of the Jewellery Industry Marketing and Industry Innovation awards. They will also decide the winner of the Outstanding Contribution Award, which is being introduced this year in honour of the late Ann Middleton, a well-known jeweller that passed away in 2014.
The diverse panel will be responsible for judging one of the four award categories, determining the winners of the Jewellery Industry Marketing and Industry Innovation awards. They will also decide the winner of the Outstanding Contribution Award, which is being introduced this year in honour of the late Ann Middleton, a well-known jeweller that passed away in 2014.
Gary Fitz-Roy, managing director of event organiser Fair Events, said it was important to select judges that held a variety of roles within the trade, given the nature of the award program.
“These awards are about people and service rather than a specific product, so the judges need to have a broad appreciation of what makes a worthy winner,” he explained.
“The judges acknowledge that these are developing into important awards for the industry, and they are going to have some tough decisions to make.”
The other three categories – Australian Jewellery Retailer, Australian Jewellery Supplier and Retailers’ Choice – will be determined by industry vote.
The JIAs – second edition
Fitz-Roy indicated the 2015 award program had been met with great enthusiasm after the success of the inaugural Jewellery Industry Awards (JIAs) held last year.
“Like anything new, it took the first awards to highlight to the industry what we [Fair Events] were trying to achieve,” he explained. “This year we have had a far greater buy in on every aspect, which is terrific.”
Fitz-Roy added that being an award winner would help increase business profiles and productivity – both important factors in surviving the current economic environment.
He said there had been more nominations this year than in 2014, and that he had observed “a sense of pride coming through from the industry”.
“It’s important we don’t lose perspective that people design, create and sell jewellery. It’s about building trust and having a connection with your customer,” he insisted. “These awards recognise the importance of the role people play in the jewellery industry.”
The 2015 JIA winners will be announced on Saturday 28 February as part of the JAA Australian Jewellery Fair’s gala evening on the Gold Coast.
The judges
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