The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has announced that internationally renowned British jewellery designer Stephen Webster will be attending the grand awards distribution ceremony of the Artisan Awards 2020, scheduled to be held on February 12, 2020 in Mumbai.

That will be the day on which the final winners will be announced. The winners will not only be awarded with cash prizes, they will also be placed for internships at prestigious jewellery design houses.

Recently, an illustrious jury comprising experts from across the fashion, jewellery and design world come together for the final jury round of the Artisan Jewellery Awards 2020.  

The jury featured renowned names such as Aparna Badlani, Co-Founder, Atosa; Ambika Anand, Fashion Consultant & TV Anchor; Neha Dani, Fine Jewellery Designer; Anna Martin, Board President and Executive Committee member of GIA; Nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director of GIA India & the Middle East; and Smriti Bohra, Creative Director of Jewels Emporium.

This year, the Artisan Awards celebrates Architectural Gems. Designers were asked to choose from three key architectural eras on which to base their designs: Art Deco, Islamic Arabesque and Neo-Futurism.

Of the 625 sketch entries received from talented designers from all over the world and across various design disciplines, 27 jewellery pieces were selected from the three categories with nine creations belonging to each category in the first jury round, which was held last year in November.

These 27 crafted pieces were judged by the esteemed jury panel in the final round, based on their design, technical sophistication, innovation and functionality.

“It has been remarkable to see the incredible designs that were shortlisted, come to life in their physical make,” said Colin Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC. “Through this platform, we have tapped talent that not only has the vision to create designs that push the boundaries of creativity, but also imbibe factors that give jewellery a 360-degree touch to be accessible to the end user.”

Milan Chokshi, Convener, Promotions, Marketing & Business Development Sub-Committee of the GJEPC commented: “It has been a great process, right from receiving entries, through to selection and manufacturing. The designs have been absolutely promising and have given an insight into the design capabilities of the generation. The young talent of the country has displayed a knack of decoding the DNA of their own personal individuality through ideas that are one-of-a-kind. It’s been especially heartening to see that the designing and interpretation of the concepts has been non-linear and the creators have used a variety of raw materials, metals and gemstones.”