~The Grand Jury Meet was commemorated in association with Evara and Gemological Science International (GSI)~
Mumbai, July 2016: The 12th Gemfields Retail Jeweller India Awards 2016 (RJIA)- An Elite Circle of Excellence, also known as the Oscars of the jewellery industry, held its GRAND JURY MEET showcasing India’s top 250 nominated jewellery creations at Jade Ballroom, Sahara Star, Mumbai. The ‘Grand Jury meet’ is a distinctive event that showcases top rated unique, creative and innovative designs from some of the most reputable jewellery houses across the country.
“This award is the only event that sets the benchmark in the industry with respect to designs, innovation and trendsetting. Over the past years we have seen an incredible change in the caliber of jewellery with a spurt of innovative and cutting edge designs. The Retail Jeweller India Awards not only appreciate design and creation but also celebrate them.” said Soma Bhatta, Editor, The Retail Jeweller.
After two rigorous rounds of selection, over 250 world-class precious jewellery designs were selected for 13 categories including 4 vivah and 9 non-vivah jewellery categories from all across India. The pieces displayed at the ‘Grand Jury Meet’ have been screened through a rigorous 2-tier selection process that included initial screening (for adherence to entry guidelines) by IMRB, process auditors for the awards, followed by online judging by the jury.
The Retail Jeweller India Awards is a one-of-a-kind, elite Awards ceremony in India. It is especially distinctive in its involvement of a jury of diverse, eminent personalities who are an integral part of the selection process. In attendance at the grand jury meet this year were esteemed panelists, Arpita Khan Sharma, Ananya Banerjee (Artist), Divya Kumar Khosla (Director, Co-Owner & Producer T-Series), Pearl Contractor (Interior Designer), Nawaz Mody Singhania (Fitness & Lifestyle Expert & Artist), Rouble Nagi (Artist & Muralist), Esha Deol (Actor) and Shaziya Khan (VP & Strategic Planning Director, JWT).
This year, RJIA introduced a new category- The Jewellery Buff Choice Award. Judged by bold and ambitious millennial achievers and youth icons like Nishka Lulla (Designer) Sanah Kapur (Upcoming artist) and Sanjana Patel (Owner & Founder, La Folie Patisserie), awards in this category will reflect the fancies of young and upward-mobile India.
Arpita Khan Sharma said, “I am glad to be a part of this event. It was particularly beneficial for me as I prepare to launch my own jewellery line next month. I love solitaires and so naturally favor the Diamond collection on display.”
Divya Kumar Khosla (Director, Co-Owner & Producer T-Series) said, “I really liked the event. It was very nicely arranged and glamorous too. I got to see many beautiful collections. I usually only wear rings on a day to day basis but I feel jewellery has the power to evoke emotions. I’m immediately reminded of a necklace that my mom has given me and how it’s very close to my heart.”
Esha Deol (Actor) said, “I got to see a variety of jewellery and I feel extremely proud of the talent in the country. It was an honor to be a part of jury. I would have definitely chosen something from the vivah collection as it reminded me of the wedding jewellery I had donned four years back during my wedding.”
Rouble Nagi (Artist & Muralist) said, “I have been associated with RJIA for the past 3 years and each year they have pushed the boundary and been better than the previous one. This year, the event was par-excellence. RJIA has set a high benchmark. For me, craftsmanship is important because I am an artist myself. This year I really liked the Heritage collection which had some excellent, one-of-a-kind pieces that I believe are timeless.”
Nawaz Mody Singhania (Fitness & Lifestyle Expert & Artist) said, “RJIA is a very nice platform for retail jewellers and designers to showcase their designing prowess. The work on display is spectacular and shows the effort that has been put in by the participants. Its truly a delight to be judging such a wide array of creative designs.”
Ananya Banerjee (Artist) said, “I really loved the Heritage collection since jewelry, in my experience, is usually passed down from one generation to other. It’ part of a family’s legacy. The Innovative collection had some excellent statement pieces. RJIA keeps getting better and better each year and I am always excited to be part of the Jury panel.”
Shaziya Khan, VP & Strategic Planning Director, JWT said, “I liked the Couture, Heritage and the Platinum collections. I felt these really stood apart and were absolutely stunning. There were some truly beautiful designs with a rich sense of drama. It’s a wonderful event and I am happy to be part of it.”
Pearl Contractor (Interior Designer), said, "When I buy jewellery, I go for designs that have an interesting, novel architecture and also classics or timeless designs which I feel I could pass down to my daughter. I see a lot of designs that fit those descriptions here today. I especially love a pair of rose motif earrings from the Coloured Gems collection and a long, eye-catching necklace from the Heritage collection."
Sanah Kapur (Upcoming artist) said, “ It’s an absolute honour to be a part of RJIA. Saw some fantastic and beautiful designs today. It has really opened my mind towards the aesthetic charm of jewellery design. The new addition of Jury Buff’s Choice award is an excellent genre to recognize the preferences of the new young generation. The young generation likes versatile and intricate designs. It is nice to see the industry taking such strides to build a stronger connection with the youth.”
Sanjana Patel (Owner & Founder, La Folie Patisserie) said, “I especially liked the Heritage and Innovative jewellery collections and the delicate details of painstaking craftsmanship. It’s almost as if a story has been woven into some of these designs and I really enjoyed the romance of that aspect. This time they have really pushed their boundaries and it’s wonderful to see all the collections.”
Nishka Lulla (Designer), said, "I love quirky designs, but I favour delicate styles. I saw many designs here today that really reflect my personal taste and I even enjoyed trying on a few items. I love the earrings and many of the diamond cuffs were beautifully styled. It's an impressive array of designs that has been presented across these categories and it's going to be very hard to pick a favourite."
Vaishali Banerjee (MD, India, PGI) said, “I have been associated with these awards for many years and each year the collections have been amazing. It is a fantastic platform, a celebration of all these talented designers. I especially loved the Couture and Heritage collections. I like the drama and the stories in some designs and I love the bold innovations that designers have managed this year.”
“Year on year, the Retail Jeweller India Awards has created a benchmark for itself in the jewellery category. We have seen notable growth in the quality of participation for these awards and it is overwhelming to see the kind of intricate design and craftsmanship that goes behind creating these exquisite pieces. Gemfields believes in promoting and appreciating exceptional talent and the association with Retail Jeweller India Awards helps us felicitate the same.” says Rupak Sen, Sales & Marketing Director – Asia, Gemfields.
“What we saw today just proved that GSI made a right choice to partner with an event like this. We saw this very impressive group of self-made women from different backgrounds had very difficult task. The jewelry on display was amazing and while this is a competition, we, at GSI believe that all the retailers and designers are already winners regardless of the outcome.” Said Mr. Mark Gershburg, CEO, GSI.
The 12th Gemfields Retail Jeweller India Awards 2016 (Jewellery categories):
- Diamond Jewellery of the Year
- Diamond Vivah Jewellery of the Year
- Gold Jewellery of the Year
- Gold Vivah Jewellery of the Year
- Couture Jewellery of the Year
- Colored Gemstone Jewellery of the Year
- Innovative Jewellery of the Year
- Heritage Jewellery of the Year
- Platinum Jewellery of the Year
- Jewellery Designer of the Year
- Best Accessory of the Year
- Colored Gemstone Vivah Jewellery of the Year
- Jewellery Buff Choice Award
Retail & Marketing Categories:
- Print Campaign of the Year
- 360 Marketing campaign of the Year
- TV Campaign of the Year
- Radio Campaign of the Year
- Retail Promotion of the Year
- New Showroom or Retail Transformation of the Year
About Retail Jeweller India Awards:
- Retail Jeweller India Awards was established in 2005 with the mission to take the US $30 billion Retail Jewellery industry forward by creating a platform for recognizing the best work of the industry in fields of design, retail and marketing.
- Also known as India’s Oscars for the Retail jewellery industry and the only business awards specifically for retail jewellers in the country of 3 lakh retail jewellers.
- With a jury of great repute, IMRB as the process auditors and NDTV Good Times as Television partner, the awards are the country’s premier and most authoritative national competition.
- It is an initiative of the Retail Jeweller Magazine which is a specialized bi-monthly business magazine read by top jewellery retailers across 415 cities of India. Completely focused on the subject of jewellery retailing, the magazine enjoys highest readership amongst progressive jewellery retailers in the country. Delivering focused communication for 48,000 HNI readers it has emerged as a dependable and reliable source for industry happenings and developments.