Jewellery and gemstone companies now have until May 10, 2024 to submit entries to Sustainability Awards 2024 by JWA (Jewellery World Awards), organiser Informa Markets Jewellery has announced. 

Sustainability Awards 2024 by JWA is a global initiative that recognises and honours outstanding sustainability efforts undertaken in the past three years by businesses of all sizes in the fine jewellery, gemstone and related industries.

The Awards programme has five categories, namely Environmental Stewardship, Social Empowerment, Manufacturing Innovation, Community Engagement and Sustainability Leadership. The submission period for entries commenced on February 5 and will close on May 10 (6pm HKT). Interested parties are encouraged to submit their entries by completing the online nomination forms.

Informa Markets recently named the judging panel for the highly anticipated Awards. The panel consists of experts who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields, both from within and beyond the jewellery world. They are John Mulligan, director of Market Relations & Climate Change Lead at the World Gold Council (WGC); gem and jewellery industry expert Nirupa Bhatt, business leadership coach and strategic adviser; Hayley A. Henning, coloured gemstone business strategist; Andrew Lau, director of ESG Advisory for Colliers Asia, and Jan Porter, head of Sustainability at Meiyume, a B2B provider of beauty packaging solutions.

The judges will evaluate and rank the entries according to the Award categories’ predefined criteria and evaluation parameters. The first round of judging is scheduled for May 2024 and the final round of deliberations will take place in July, with the Awardees being publicly announced in the same month. 

Awards benefits

The sustainability campaign provides a valuable opportunity to assess businesses from a unique perspective, offering meaningful benchmarks for comparison with other initiatives both within and outside the jewellery sector. This evaluation process aids in identifying areas for improvement and potential enhancements, resulting in benefits that extend beyond the Awards programme itself, said Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at Informa Markets Jewellery.

“Collaboration and knowledge-sharing are essential for the sustainability message to gain traction, and this is where live events like JGA and JGW play a vital role. Our events bring everyone in the industry together like no other,” Lau added.

The Awards programme offers benefits to successful candidates, including the potential for significant global exposure, higher brand awareness and new business connections – all while reinforcing the message of sustainability.

The finalists will be announced during a media gathering at Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA) on June 20 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), and the winners will be celebrated during the fair reception of the industry’s biggest B2B marketplace – Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW) – on September 18, also at the HKCEC. 

More importantly, finalists and winners will receive an exclusive invitation to share their inspiring journeys, challenges and successes in the Sustainability Heroes Panel Series during JGW in September. They will also benefit from extensive coverage across Informa Markets Jewellery’s channels and various social media platforms, both leading up to and following the Awards event.

Those who wish to participate may fill out the online nomination forms at https://www.jwawards.com/nomination-forms/.