JNA Awards Now Accepting Entries in 16 Categories

(From left) Nissim Palomo, chief marketing officer of Israel Diamond Institute; Gilat Elizov-Gefen, managing director of IDI Asia Pacific; Naresh Surana, director of Diarough (Hong Kong); Helen Molesworth, managing director of Gübelin Academy; Albert Cheng, managing director of World Gold Council Far East; Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development - Jewellery Group of UBM Asia; Kent Wong, managing director of Chow Tai Fook; Rita Maltez, manager of Rio Tinto Diamond's Greater China Region

Entries by individuals or companies are now being accepted for the JNA Awards. Applications are available online by following this link. Deadline for submissions will be midnight (Hong Kong time) of April 17, 2014.

Organized by Jewellery News Asia, Asia’s leading jewelry trade publication, the annual JNA Awards honors innovators and leaders of the international jewelry industry in manufacturing, branding, retailing, best business practice, innovation, sustainability and outstanding contribution.

There will be 16 categories this year, including a new category that spotlights the ASEAN region. The full list of JNA Awards 2014 categories is as follows:

* Lifetime Achievement Award
* Outstanding Contribution of the Year
* Brand of the Year – Retail
* Employer of the Year
* Industry Innovation of the Year - Manufacturing - Business
* Industry Innovation of the Year - Manufacturing - Technology
* Manufacturer of the Year - Diamond Cutting and Polishing
* Manufacturer of the Year - Gem-set Jewellery
* Manufacturer of the Year - Precious Metal Only Jewellery
* Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - ASEAN Countries
* Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - India
* Outstanding Enterprise of the Year - Mainland China
* Retailer of the Year
* E-tailer of the Year
* Sustainability Initiative of the Year
* Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Age 40 and below)

Entries will be judged May and June by an international panel of judges representing key sectors of the jewelry industry. The honorees or shortlisted candidates will be revealed on June 19, and will be feted together with the Recipients at the JNA Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on Tuesday, September 16, at the InterContinental Hong Kong, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair 2014.

Now on its third year, JNA Awards 2014 is led by Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook as Headline Partners, with Diarough Group, Gubelin Group, the Israel Diamond Institute, KARP Group, Paspaley Pearling Company and Shanghai Diamond Exchange as Honored Partners.

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