Diamond miner De Beers says its 2024 Shining Light Awards (SLA) jewellery design competition is now open for entries.
The 2024 SLA competition started accepting entries from June 19 up to August 16.
The competition is part of the De Beers Group Designers Initiative (DBGDI), a youth beneficiation skills development initiative that is designed to inspire, ignite, and empower young jewellers with "world-class" jewellery design and manufacturing skills in each of the group’s diamond-producing countries: Botswana, Canada, Namibia, and South Africa.
The SLA has served as a "springboard" for budding jewellery designers in De Beers' diamond-producing countries since its inception more than 25 years ago, according to the corporation.
The prize for this year's competition is R1.6 million ($88 264) per country.
The jewellery design competition is available to jewellery designers aged 18 to 35 who are in their last year, have graduated from a jewellery design programme, or have significant expertise in jewellery design. It is held every two years.
The competition offers the youth a "once in a lifetime" chance to showcase their abilities.
“We at De Beers are committed to making an impact beyond the life of the mine by ensuring that every natural diamond we discover contributes to the sustainable development of our host communities wherever we have our operations,” said De Beers global sightholder sales vice president Otsile Mabeo.
“The SLA creates an enabling environment for growth, skills transfer, entrepreneurship, global experiences and mentorship in the jewellery design industry and we are excited to support youth across Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa to develop jewellery design and manufacturing skills.”
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
