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Thursday, April 28, 2016

Industry Experts Return to JNA Awards, Entry Deadline Extended To May 8

From left: Albert Cheng, advisor to the World Gold Council, Far East, James Courage, former chief executive of Platinum Guild International, Lin Qiang, president and managing director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange, Nirupa Bhatt, managing director of Gemological Institute of America, India and the Middle East; and Yasukazu Suwa, chairman of Suwa & Son, Inc in Japan

Five respected names in the international jewelry industry will return as judges for the fifth annual JNA Awards.

Organized by JNA, the flagship jewelry publication of UBM Asia, the awards recognizes and celebrates excellence and achievement in the jewelry and gemstone industry, with a focus on the advancement of the trade in Asia. 

The JNA Awards 2016 is now accepting entries and interested parties can access the entry forms on the JNA Awards official website. Due to the high level of interest among first-time entrants, the organizer has extended the deadline to May 8, at 11:59 p.m., Hong Kong time. The judging process will commence immediately after the deadline until mid-June.

An independent panel of distinguished industry leaders and veterans from different countries representing key sectors of the industry is carefully selected to ensure that the judging process is fair, transparent and intellectually rigorous.

The judges for the fifth edition of the JNA Awards are: Albert Cheng, advisor to the World Gold Council, Far East, James Courage, former chief executive of Platinum Guild International, Lin Qiang, president and managing director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange, Nirupa Bhatt, managing director of the Gemological Institute of America in India and the Middle East, and Yasukazu Suwa, chairman of Suwa & Son, Inc in Japan.

Three of the experts have committed to their judging role since the inauguration of the Awards in 2012.

The judging panel is chaired by Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development – Jewellery Group at UBM Asia Ltd. 

“The JNA Awards is celebrating a five-year milestone this year, and it is my greatest pleasure to invite back this group of distinguished experts to our judging panel,” Chow said. “This year stands to be more challenging than before since we are anticipating a record number of entries, requiring even more attention and expertise from our judges.”

The JNA Awards 2016 has Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook as its Headline Partners, with Diarough Group, Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies, Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE), and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited serving as Honoured Partners.

The shortlisted entrants will be announced on June 23 at a press conference held on the first day of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, and will be feted on September 14 at the JNA Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair. 

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