‘Emerald Jewel Industry Shortlisted for JNA Awards ‘Manufacturer of the Year’

The ninth edition of the prestigious JNA Awards announced its highly anticipated list of Honourees across seven award categories at a webcast on 29th June, followed by an online panel discussion featuring industry thought leaders. The Awards’ first-ever virtual event was well-attended by international jewellers.

A renowned awards programme organised by Informa Markets since 2012, the JNA Awards promotes sustainable advancement within the industry by recognising individuals and companies that have demonstrated excellence, innovation and best business practices – irrespective of the size and scale of their operations, fields of expertise and the geographical regions they serve.

In the last few weeks, the judges diligently assessed entries from 11 countries and regions across five continents, selecting 32 shortlisted Honourees out of a highly qualified pool of nominees.

While Industry Innovation of the Year continues to be the most popular category, the Awards saw a spike in the number of entries for Sustainability Initiative of the Year – further underlining the jewellery community’s commitment to the values of innovation and sustainability as drivers for positive change.

Letitia Chow, chairperson of the JNA Awards, and director of business development – Jewellery Group at Informa Markets, commented, “This year has indeed been unusual, pushing us to be more adaptable, flexible and creative in the face of extraordinary uncertainties. This impressive show of business agility has clearly been demonstrated by our roster of Honourees for 2020, which consists of start-ups and well-established companies.”

The independent judging panel consisted of industry experts, namely, Albert Cheng, CEO, Singapore Bullion Market Association and international advisor, Shanghai Gold Exchange; James Courage, former chief executive of Platinum Guild International (PGI) and former chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC); Lin Qiang, president and managing director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE); Mark Lee, research director of Asia Pacific Institute for Strategy (APIFS), and Nirupa Bhatt, senior advisor to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) India.

Bhatt remarked, “The JNA Awards provides industry members an opportunity to share stories about the progress they have made, their future plans and the innovations they bring to businesses and the industry for the greater good.”

Here’s the full list of JNA Awards 2020 Honourees:

Industry Innovation of the Year – Customer Engagement