The biennial Diamond Guild Australia (DGA) Jewellery Awards was originally slated for next year; however, it will now take place in 2018 following announcements that the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) and Expertise Events, organiser of the Sydney International Jewellery Fair, would hold separate design contests in 2017.
DGA has run its event, which was developed to showcase innovative jewellery designs incorporating natural diamonds, since 2005. This is the first time the competition has been postponed.
In explaining the reasons behind re-scheduling the awards, DGA executive officer Melissa James spoke about wanting to encourage and facilitate as many entrants as possible to all three design contests.
“The Diamond Guild Australia Jewellery Awards are the keystone diamond jewellery design competition for the Australian industry and we are proud that it is open to all jewellers and designers working within a retail jewellery environment,” James said.
“As such, our members feel that to hold three design competitions in the coming year is not in the best interests of the industry.”
The DGA awards were previously held in alternating years to the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards.
Earlier this year, the JAA stated it would postpone its 2016 awards and instead hold them in 2017 as it had been unable to acquire the necessary funding to conduct the competition.
In July, Expertise Events announced it would launch the Jewellery Design Awards next year with a first prize valued at $50,000.
James said holding the JAA and DGA awards in alternate years had allowed jewellers wishing to participate in both events the chance to submit their best work without “the pressure of two competitions in a single year”.
“Now with the announcement of the Expertise Events awards in 2017 a better result will be achieved if the guild’s awards are held the following year to give maximum media exposure for the entrants and the industry as a whole,” James stated.
“Competing for airtime is not going to be beneficial for any stakeholders.”
The DGA was founded in 2005 with the aim to establish and preserve a benchmark for quality and ethics in the promotion and sale of diamonds throughout Australia.
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