Bhatt and Boyajian Named as Judges for JNA Awards

Nirupa Bhatt

Nirupa Bhatt, managing director of Gemological Institute of America in India and the Middle East, and Bill Boyajian, founder and president of Bill Boyajian & Associates, round out the panel of judges for the JNA Awards. 

Bill Boyajian

The annual awards program, now in its third year, pays tribute and recognizes companies and individuals that have demonstrated excellence, strong corporate and social responsibility, and set high standards in the Asian jewelry and gemstone trade. The awards program is organized by Jewellery News Asia, the largest and most important jewelry trade publication in Asia.

They will join James Courage, CEO of Platinum Guild International; Albert Cheng, managing director of the World Gold Council, Far East; and Lin Qiang, president and managing director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange as judges.

Bhatt has received several global honors for her contributions to the gemstone and jewelry industry. Her role with GIA has taken her to over 60 locations across India, Turkey and the Middle East. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the All India Gem and Jewellery Trade Federation, and Gem and Jewellery Skill Council of India, as well as an invitee to the marketing committee of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council. It is the second consecutive year she served as a judge for the JNA Awards.

Boyajian was president of the GIA from 1986 to 2006 and is one of the global gem and jewelry industry's most well-known experts. With Bill Boyajian & Associates, Inc., he consults for a variety of companies both in and out of the jewelry trade. He is author of the book “Developing the Mind of a Leader - Your Path to Lead and Inspire People,” and is a sought-after speaker and coach.

The JNA Awards 2014 will culminate with a ceremony and gala dinner on September 16, at the InterContinental Hong Kong, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. The Awards has Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook as “Headline Partners,” with Diarough Group, Gubelin Group, Israel Diamond Institute, KARP Group, Paspaley Pearling Company and SDE as “Honoured Partners.”

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