Diamond giant De Beers will this year conduct its bi-annual Shining Light Awards jewellery design competition.
The competition is part of the De Beers Group Designers Initiative (DBGDI). This youth beneficiation skills development initiative is designed to inspire, ignite, and empower young jewellers with jewellery design and manufacturing skills in each of the group's diamond-producing countries: Botswana, Canada, Namibia, and South Africa.
The awards serve as a catalyst for budding jewellery designers in De Beers' diamond-producing countries since its inception more than 25 years ago.
De Beers beneficiation manager Kagiso Fredericks told Rough & Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview they set aside 4.5 carats per collection from first to third place, across all four countries.
This, he said, equates to 13.5 carats per country and 54 carats for the entire competition.
Below are excerpts from the interview.
What is the importance of holding the Shining Light Awards?
There is a huge amount of creative talent in our diamond-producing partner countries. Still, it can sometimes be challenging for talented designers from these locations to gain the platform and access to networks and other support to develop careers in the jewellery sector. Through the Shining Light Awards, we aim to create a platform for talented designers in our host countries of Botswana, Namibia, Canada and South Africa and support them not only through showcasing their talent but also through providing the right kind of support to help shape a long-term career in the industry. That's why this time the awards have been restructured to meet the winner and runners-up at their particular stage of career or business. There are three options awardees can choose from, and prizes include various combinations of business support, internships, skills development and tuition support for studies.
When did you open entries for this year's competition?
Entries for the 2024 De Beers Group Shining Light Awards jewellery design competition opened on 19 June and close on 16 August.
Who qualifies to take part in the competition?
The competition is open to jewellery designers aged 18 to 35, who are in their final year, have graduated from a jewellery design programme or have relevant experience in jewellery design.
How often do you organise these awards?
The competition runs every two years.
What is the prize for this year's competition, and how does it compare to the last edition?
The prize pool for this edition of the competition is $90,000 per country and prizes include various combinations of business support, internships, skills development and tuition support for studies.
Previously, first place in each country was awarded a 12-month postgraduate scholarship at Poly.Design - Polytechnico di Milano, in Milan, Italy, with second place in each country awarded 12-month artisan hands-on jewellery manufacturing training, and third place in each country awarded a three-month internship in their home country. However, we have evolved the approach to the prizes to recognise that different entrants are at different stages of their career journeys, so having more flexibility in winners being able to elect the type of award that best meets their needs offers the greatest positive impact.
How have the awards evolved since their inception?
Originally launched in South Africa in 1996, the Shining Light Awards has grown to include submissions from new graduates of jewellery design programmes in Botswana, Canada and Namibia. The programme has grown in scale as it has evolved, with the previous edition of the competition receiving a record 123 total entries.
What opportunities did the competition open to the previous winners?
Some of our previous winners have gone on to establish their own businesses, while others are working in jewellery design houses. It has been inspiring to see the varied ways in which our previous winners have applied their skills, and this variety of career paths in the sector was another reason why we looked to evolve the approach to prizes for our winners.
How is De Beers making available diamonds for the jewellery designers in the participating countries?
We work in close collaboration with Sightholders (our rough diamond customers), who cut and polish the diamonds that are used in the competition and who are incredibly supportive of what the Shining Light Awards are aiming to achieve.
How many carats do you set aside each year to be used for the jewellery designs?
We set aside 4.5 carats per collection from first to third place, across all four countries. This equates to 13.5 carats per country and 54 carats for the entire competition.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
