“The Secret Gems” premiered in Thailand on Sept. 20. Billie Hughes (third from left), the co-founder of Lotus Gemology, is a judge on the eight-episode jewelry design competition show.
Bangkok—Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce has launched a jewelry design competition TV show.
The eight-episode program “The Secret Gems” brings together eight Thai jewelry brands, each paired with a team of young designers, university students, and emerging craftspeople.
Together, they co-create jewelry pieces under a series of competition briefs, such as requiring them to design jewelry for a specific demographic and develop marketing strategies.
There are also gemstone-focused challenges, testing skills like rough selection, cutting, polishing, and setting.
The program is supported by the ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), which co-organizes the biannual Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair along with the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT).
The show aims to enhance the competitiveness of Thailand’s gem and jewelry industry and create greater value for Thai products and brands, DITP said.
Billie Hughes, co-founder and managing director of Bangkok-based colored gemstone laboratory Lotus Gemology, is one of three judges on the show.
Billie Hughes of Lotus Gemology is one of the three judges on “The Secret Gems.”
The other judges are Nicklas von Bueren, CEO of luxury design house Lotus Arts de Vivre, and Thai jeweler Ek Sarran Youkongdee.
“We evaluate the contestants’ work based on criteria such as craftsmanship, creativity, response to the brief, and storytelling,” Hughes said.
“In some challenges, we are also joined by guest judges.”
Hughes, a gemologist and researcher, has lectured for trade organizations, museums, and luxury jewelry houses, including extensive educational work with Van Cleef & Arpels.
She has authored and co-authored articles in leading gemological journals and given memorable talks at DITP’s Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, leading producers to contact her about the opportunity to be on the show.
Along with judging finished pieces, Hughes talks with the hosts and contestants during challenges, providing insight for viewers on gemstone qualities, treatments, cutting techniques, and more.
She said the experience has been exciting and rewarding.
“I’ve been inspired by the focus, creativity, and resilience we’ve seen from our contestants. One of the big challenges for them is working under the tight time constraints of the competition. Things don’t always go perfectly, but they make it work,” she said.
“As we’ve gotten further along in the competition, one of the most rewarding things to see has been how each team starts to develop a signature style. After a few rounds, you can start to tell which team designed which piece before they even present it. They’re also attempting more complex designs as they gain confidence, so as judges we’re rooting for them to succeed with each challenge.”
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The gem and jewelry industry is one of Thailand’s key industries, playing an important role in generating export revenue, employment, and economic value.
It is currently the country’s fourth-largest export sector, with exports worth more than $8.3 billion during the first six months of 2026, representing growth of 11.58 percent year-over-year, according to Ms. Banjongjitt Angsusingh, advisor to the Minister of Commerce.
Hughes said her hope is that the show gives the general public in Thailand a greater appreciation for the industry, illustrating that the skills required to create fine jewelry take years of practice and dedication and have real value.
“I also hope the show helps people recognize the extraordinary craftsmanship that already exists here in Thailand. We’re a major part of the global fine jewelry industry, but I think the quality and expertise here sometimes goes unrecognized, even among Thai people,” she said.
A team discusses where to begin with their sketch after receiving a brief.
Hughes also noted that many in the industry are concerned that it will become difficult to find craftspeople, especially as older generations begin to retire.
Though several of the younger contestants mentioned that they are part of their family business, being born into the industry—even in a major trading hub like Thailand—is not a guarantee they will dedicate themselves to it.
“Some people want to forge their own path, while others want to continue in the industry,” she said.
“I also know people who’ve tried entering other industries first but eventually found themselves drawn back to the family business. I think gems and jewelry have a way of pulling you in.”
Hughes herself didn’t originally plan to enter the trade, even though both of her parents—Richard Hughes and Wimon Manorotkul, the other co-founders of Lotus Gemology—are gemologists.
When she began studying gemology, however, she was hooked.
“Seeing all these different perspectives, from the wonderful world of inclusions under the microscope to talking to master ruby cutters here in Bangkok as they fashioned million-dollar stones, I began to appreciate what a unique set of experiences we have in this industry,” she said.
“The Secret Gems” is produced by Heliconia H Group, who is known for producing the Thai versions of competition shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, and MasterChef.
This is Group’s first venture into the world of gems and jewelry.
The show is among the first of its kind, though it has overlapped with another jewelry design show that also premiered recently in Thailand called “The Cut,” organized by GIT.
A few years ago, a similar concept debuted in the U.K. called “All That Glitters.”
“The Secret Gems” is still airing, but Hughes said she has been encouraged by the feedback she’s heard from viewers so far.
“It’s been particularly exciting to see the show finding an audience beyond our industry,” she said, noting that the security guard at her residence recently told her he was enjoying the show.
“I hope it sparks more curiosity about gems and jewelry, and the craftsmanship behind the finished pieces.”
“The Secret Gems” airs on Thailand’s Channel 7 at 5 p.m. local time. After the broadcast, an English-subtitled version of each episode is posted to YouTube.
