1 March 2019 – Winners of the 2019 International Jewellery Design Excellence Award (IJDE) – a biennial competition often known as the “Oscars of the jewellery industry” – were announced at an award presentation ceremony held yesterday (28 February) during the cocktail reception of the 36^th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show. A total of 137 award-winning designers from 21 countries and regions participated in this year’s competition, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and  the Hong Kong Jewellers’ & Goldsmiths’ Association, Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association, Hong Kong Jewelry Manufacturers’ Association and Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China Ltd.

“Champion of the Champions” features hidden church complex
American designer Aleksandr Maryaskin won the highest honour, “Champion of the Champions”, with his egg-shaped desktop decoration named “Discovery of Eggcellance”. The “egg” can be twisted open to reveal a miniature church complex inspired by a traditional church the designer helped restore while living in Ukraine.

Innovative and Uniqueness in Design Award
Hong Kong designer Sarah Zhuang captured the Innovative and Uniqueness in Design Award. Her piece “Urban Reflection” incorporates Hong Kong’s world-renowned skyline in a set of four rings, depicting the city’s diverse architecture with ultra-modern skyscrapers juxtaposed against historical buildings. The rings can be worn together to form a picture of the iconic skyline with reflection.

Craftsmanship Award
The Craftsmanship Award was presented to Ukrainian designer Borys Palamarchuk. His handmade, hot-enamel “Best Ring” features a round decorative piece with a diamond-studded golden rim and a koi carp that appears to be swimming lithely in the sunshine. The design symbolises the circulation of light energy, which in turn signifies luck, victory and hard work. It is also meant to represent self-sufficiency and moral courage. Swimming against the current, carp are associated with persistence and strength, as well as overcoming challenges and achieving goals. The koi carp, in particular, symbolise the pursuit of ambitious goals and success.

Aesthetics Award
German designer Michael Weggenmann won recognition with the Aesthetics Award for his piece “Stars in Heaven”, which is meant to be “a declaration of love to the strong woman”. The design exudes confidence and fascinates with breathtaking contrasts: a black stainless-steel ring with a fine 18-karat rose-gold design is set with a “mysterious” shiny pearl. The precious Tahitian cultured pearl with its iridescent shimmer contrasts the rustic charm of stainless steel.

Five Distinction Awards honoured:

• Japanese designer Miyo Hikone’s brooch and earrings design “Coral”,
• Japanese designer Yiji Watanabe’s earrings “KAZE”,
• Hong Kong designer Wong Wing-chung’s “Time” decoration,
• Hong Kong designer Zhou Jianxiang’s bangle “Freeze”, and
• Indian designer Anil Patel’s ring “Fire of Hope”.

Six Merit Awards went to:

• Slovakian designer Alireza Mokarram Dorri’s ring “Magical Moments”,
• Hong Kong designer Tse Ka-wing’s necklace and earrings “Pegasus”,
• Mainland Chinese designer Yu Jiaqi’s bangle-and-necklace set “The Skyscraper Era”,
• Japanese designer Miwako Yokota’s headband-earrings set “Harvest”,
• Japanese designer Taiki Nishimura’s necklace “Ecume”, and
• Australian designer Roberto Mattei’s ring “Contact”.

International judging panel
The judging panel included Lawrence Ma, Chairman of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show 2019 Fair Organising Committee; Jeff Chan, Specialist at Christie’s Jewellery Department; Renaud Fonverne, President of MV Media SAS; Jeremy Keight, Managing Director at Jewellery World; Priscilla Ku, Managing Director at Bossku Investments Ltd.; Giovanni Micera, Director at Preziosa Magazine; Rinri Mizuno, Director at the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry; and Diana Zhang, the first female Asian jewellery designer to present at the world-famous Paris Biennale des Antiquaires.

Mr Ma, Chief Judge of the IJDE, said the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show is a major global industry event gathering exhibitors from all around the world. Designers taking part in the biennial IJDE Award have also been pushing boundaries in recent years, making it a high-quality competition. “This year’s entries are excellent, gathering award-winning entries of jewellery design competitions from around the world. Designers have expressed the cultures of different places through their jewellery design. I have seen many designs with extraordinary creativity, craftsmanship and aesthetics in the competition.”

Another judge, Priscilla Ku, said: “Jewellery design is not only about aesthetics, as it also requires soul in the design. I am happy to see the stories and ideas behind every design. The entries this year set a high standard. All of the designers made efforts in breaking through current design standards with the use of challenging materials and craftsmanship. The competition provides a platform for jewellery designers to showcase their designs.”

Awarding-winning pieces showcased at Jewellery Show
The biennial IJDE Award gathers award-winning designers from all over the world to compete for a number of accolades that honour outstanding jewellery designers and provides an opportunity for the industry to exchange experiences, expertise and craftsmanship. The winning entries are now on display at the Hall 1D concourse during the 36^th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

Organised by the HKTDC, the sixth edition of Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which specialises in showcasing raw materials for jewellery, runs from 26 February to 2 March at AsiaWorld-Expo, while the Jewellery Show runs from 28 February to 4 March. The two shows attracted a record of more than 4,600 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions in 2019, creating the world’s largest jewellery trading platform.

The winning entries of the 2019 International Jewellery Design Excellence (IJDE) Award were announced on 28 February. The winning pieces are now on display at the Hall 1D concourse of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre during the 36^th HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show

Champion of the Champions

Title of winning design: Discovery of Eggcellance
Designer: Aleksandr Maryaskin (US)
Sponsoring company: Simply Unique Jewelry Designs

Innovative and Uniqueness in Design

Craftsmanship Award

Aesthetics Award

The judging panel for the 2019 IJDE Award included (from left): Jeremy Keight, Managing Director of Jewellery World; Diana Zhang, the first female Asian jewellery designer to present at the world-famous Paris Biennale des Antiquaires; Lawrence Ma (Chief Judge), Chairman of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show 2019 Fair Organising Committee; Priscilla Ku, Managing Director of Bossku Investments Ltd.; Giovanni Micera, Director of Preziosa Magazine; Jeff Chan, Specialist at Christie’s Jewellery Department; Rinri Mizuno, Director of  Hiko Mizuno College of Jewelry; and Renaud Fonverne, President of MV Media SAS