De Beers Group has indicated that the annual Shining Light Awards which are hosted to recognize emerging jewellery designers in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, are expected to develop the jewelry industry, as the awards start to focus on supporting more commercial jewellery collections.
In a press statement last week, De Beers Group indicated that the awards which are scheduled to be hosted in Namibia Thursday this week provide emerging jewellery designers in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa with a platform to build their careers in the jewelry design industry.
The company stated that winners of this year’s awards will be announced this week at a red-carpet event in Windhoek, Namibia, on 30th November 2017 and for the first time since the competition’s inception, there will be prizes for first, second and third in each of the participating countries. According to De Beers the three winners will receive a one-year apprenticeship with Forevermark at its Design and Innovation Centre in Milan, Italy, while second prize winners will be offered three-month internship with Forevermark at its Design and Innovation Centre and third prize winners will be given an opportunity to participate in a jewellery design skills development programme at a regional institution for the third prize winners.
De Beers stated that in its bid to give a platform for designers to compete in the awards, De Beers Group and Forevermark conducted regional roadshows and workshops to attract entrants and engage with students across universities and technical colleges in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa and workshops were conducted in 2016 at nine universities regionally.
“De Beers Group is committed to ensuring that the youth in the countries of our diamond producer partners benefit from the diamond industry. Through the Shining Light Awards, we are providing a platform to nurture and develop emerging talent, while also highlighting the positive opportunities that exist along the diamond value chain. We have been blown away by the level of talent across our partner countries, and the beautiful and creative designs that were developed by our nine finalists,” said De Beers Global Corporate Affairs and Government Relations Vice-President Pat Dambe.
Forevermark Brand Strategy and Innovation Vice-President Costantino Papadimitriou said the Shining Light Awards is a fantastic platform for the next generation of designers to realize their creative potential, while also providing valuable links with the industry.
De Beers stated that the Shining Light Awards, now in their 20th year in South Africa and 8th year in Botswana and Namibia, are part of the De Beers Young jewelry Designers Skills Development Initiative, designed to support beneficiation efforts in De Beers Group’s producer countries across southern Africa. The company noted that the awards support the development of participants’ business skills in the areas of jewelry design, manufacturing, and sales and marketing.