Events & AwardsSep 18, 2024
Couture DAC Opens Applications for Next Class of MenteesEvents & AwardsOct 02, 2024
AJA’s Design Competition Now Accepting Entries
The Armenian Jewellers Association is hosting its design competition for the second year, with winners showcasing at GemGenève in May 2025.
Interested jewelers and designers of Armenian heritage should submit sketches or finished pieces by Nov. 17 to enter the competition. Five winners will be chosen and announced by Jan. 15.
Yerevan, Armenia—The Armenian Jewellers Association’s (AJA) 2024 Armenian Jewelry Design Competition is back for a second year.
AJA’s judging committee will select five winners who will be given the opportunity to showcase their winning piece in the Armenian Designers booth, which is sponsored by AJA, at GemGenève on May 18 – 11 in 2025.
The winners will also have their work highlighted in AJA’s publications and social media, along with exhibiting at the trade show in Geneva.
Interested jewelers and designers must be of Armenian heritage to enter the competition, submitting either a production-ready sketch or a finished piece of jewelry.
The sketches can be hand-drawn or rendered by any traditional drawing media or CAD.
If submitting a finished piece, it must be crafted from precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum, with or without gemstones.
A judging panel made up of independent experts in the industry will choose the competition’s five winners according to three criteria.
There is creativity and innovative design, where the judges will evaluate each piece’s market appeal, design relevance, and manufacturing practicality.
Then they will assess the technical ability of the piece, where they look at the quality of workmanship and materials, and lastly is presentation, where the judges determine if the piece has good branding and inspiration.
Related stories will be right here …
AJA’s judging committee will select five winners who will be given the opportunity to showcase their winning piece in the Armenian Designers booth, which is sponsored by AJA, at GemGenève on May 18 – 11 in 2025.
The winners will also have their work highlighted in AJA’s publications and social media, along with exhibiting at the trade show in Geneva.
Interested jewelers and designers must be of Armenian heritage to enter the competition, submitting either a production-ready sketch or a finished piece of jewelry.
The sketches can be hand-drawn or rendered by any traditional drawing media or CAD.
If submitting a finished piece, it must be crafted from precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum, with or without gemstones.
A judging panel made up of independent experts in the industry will choose the competition’s five winners according to three criteria.
There is creativity and innovative design, where the judges will evaluate each piece’s market appeal, design relevance, and manufacturing practicality.
Then they will assess the technical ability of the piece, where they look at the quality of workmanship and materials, and lastly is presentation, where the judges determine if the piece has good branding and inspiration.
The deadline to enter the 2024 Armenian Jewelry Design Competition is Nov. 17.
Judging will take place from Nov. 20 to Dec. 10, with the organization announcing its winners on Jan. 15.
Applicants can submit up to five designs. They must be in separate entry forms submitted online.
To learn more about the Armenian Jewellers Association and its design competition, email contact@aja.internatinal or visit its LinkedIn page.
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
Policies & IssuesOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
De Beers to Take Full Ownership of Gahcho KuéIt is the last fully operational diamond mine in Canada following the recent closures of Ekati and Diavik.
AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
Bruce Bridges Joins CIBJO BoardThe AGTA president was elected for a two-year term on the board of directors.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
CrimeOct 01, 2026
Police Looking for 4 Suspects in $600K Smash-and-Grab RobberyDubai Jewelers in Springfield, Virginia, was once again the target of an armed robbery.
SurveysOct 01, 2026
Rolex Ranks Among Most Recommended Brands in US, Survey Says YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands report’s out, and a fast-fashion giant is sitting at No. 1 while Rolex is just shy of the top 5.
SourcingOct 01, 2026
Columbia Gem House Opens ‘Cutting Toward Change’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will benefit an organization working in India to combat silicosis, a lung disease affecting stone cutters.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes’ Championship Ring Reveals Hidden Hockey Puck PendantThe rings, crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills, celebrate the hockey team’s Stanley Cup win with design elements that honor its traditions.
