IGI Announces Third Annual Jewelry Design Contest
This year’s free competition has new categories and a new theme.

The IGI Expressions jewelry design competition is free to enter and underwritten entirely by IGI.
This year’s contest offers new categories and a new theme, “Abstract Design With Retro Motifs,” encouraging designs that blend modern jewelry design with timeless, retro-era motifs.
The three categories are Statement Piece, Convertible Jewelry, and Perfume Bottle or Jewelry Box.
Designers are encouraged to draw inspiration from their everyday surroundings, such as elements in their homes, workplaces, and other areas, and may submit hand-sketched, CAD, or iPad designs.
With a vision to recognize and honor exceptional talent within the jewelry industry, the contest invites and celebrates a diverse array of designs that embody the spirit of artistic expression, IGI said.
“Designers provide ingenuity and creative expression to our industry and need to be recognized for their exceptional work,” said IGI CEO Tehmasp Printer.
“We encourage all artists to participate for a chance to win one of the many titles conferred by our global panel of acclaimed jury members.”
The six judges for this year’s competition are: Punit Balana, an international fashion designer; Severine Ferrari, founder and editor-in-chief of Engagement 101 Magazine; Tania Heikal, a professional gemologist, influencer, and blogger; Pradeep Jethani, CEO of Jet Gems and a jewelry designer and producer; Helen Mao, an international jewelry consultant, jewelry author, and curator; and Sonal Sawansukha, jewelry designer and co-founder and creative director at Jewel Saga.
When submissions conclude, judging will take place over one week, and winners will be announced Feb. 20.
Nine winners will be chosen, and their designs will be manufactured.
Winning designers also will receive an IGI Expressions Champion Trophy, Champion Certificate, 3D prints of their design, press coverage, exposure on IGI’s GemBlog and social channels, and a $500 check. (Designers in sanctioned countries will not be eligible to receive the cash prize.)
All participants will receive an official IGI Expressions participation certificate, and finalists will receive a finalist certificate and coverage on IGI’s GemBlog and social channels.
Artists can submit designs online until Jan. 31.
Requests for information and questions can be directed to expressions@igi.org.
The Latest

The industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.

Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.

The jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

The new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.


Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

The jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
























