Editor’s Note
This article highlights the 2024 GUILD x GEMFIELDS Aurora Borealis International Jewelry Design Competition, an event celebrating the intersection of natural wonder and creative design. We explore its role in fostering global talent and innovation within the jewelry industry.
On September 25th, the award ceremony for the third “Witness the Aurora with the World” GUILD x GEMFIELDS Aurora Borealis International Jewelry Design Competition, jointly organized by the GUILD Gem Laboratory, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), and the renowned mining company GEMFIELDS, was grandly held at the IBC Global Business Center in Shenzhen.
This edition of the competition received over 1,300 entries globally, with 340 pieces shortlisted, a 100% increase year-on-year. Online votes exceeded 8.4 million, a 400% increase year-on-year. These numbers are both astonishing and gratifying.
GEMFIELDS is a mining company that produces 50% of the world’s rubies and over 25% of the world’s emeralds. Every year, GEMFIELDS conducts market research in major global markets. In China, their research shows that rubies remain one of the most popular gemstones, and for global ruby practitioners, the market still holds immense opportunities.
At this critical juncture, I believe the most important thing is to build consumer confidence in colored gemstones. This is the foundation for making choices and a necessary option for long-term development.
2024 is a challenging year for the global colored gemstone market. Changes in the macroeconomic environment are affecting many practitioners. In supply chain hubs like Sri Lanka and Thailand, we can always foresee some changes through phenomena, such as the emergence of new technologies and new gemstones, forcing the market to adjust its strategies.
They embody the creativity and passion of designers from home and abroad, and their enthusiastic creations continuously propel the industry forward. No matter how the market environment changes, companies focused on innovation can always seize development opportunities.
The third Aurora Borealis award ceremony specially featured a Global Colored Gemstone Industry Leaders Forum. The forum was moderated by Liu Lihong, President of the GUILD Gem Laboratory, and Andrew Lucas, Dean of GIA, with a distinguished panel of guests. The discussion topics covered multiple aspects of the entire industry chain.
International colored gemstone industry leaders, including Damien Cody, President of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA); Rizwan Nayeem, Vice Chairman of the ChinaFort Jewelry Traders Association in Sri Lanka; Edward Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Director of mining giant GEMFIELDS; Wu Fenghua, Founder of TTF High Jewelry; and Pan Jinping, Senior Director of LAC Jewelry, engaged in in-depth discussions on industry development and trends. Among them, “How to Navigate the Cycle?” became the hottest topic.