Jewellery designers with an eye for traditional Arabic patterns will be interested to learn of a competition that launched on July 24. The Jawhara Heritage Jewellery Competition and Awards is a one-off opportunity to create a collection based on heritage jewels.
With a jewellery history stretching back centuries, the GCC has a deep-rooted affinity for adornment. However, this rich culture is vulnerable to being lost as ornaments from Asia and the West are increasingly being chosen for weddings and other events. For this competition, applicants are requested to design jewellery that takes its inspiration from historical pieces from the region.
The website is quick to point out, however, that merely copying is not the aim. Instead the contest aims to kick-start a movement that reimagines the past through modern eyes, and that will be appealing to contemporary tastes.
The competition runs until September 20, and all submissions will be judged by a panel that includes (among others) Nirupa Bhatt, managing director for the Gemological Institute of America — India & Middle East.
The winning design(s) will go into production, under the sponsorship of Jawhara, the jewellery retailer at the heart of this contest.
Speaking about why it was important to launch this project, Tamjid Abdullah, deputy chief executive of Jawhara Jewellery, says: "Today, if we look at our region’s heritage and jewellery treasure over the last century, we find that we were fortunate to have beautiful lines of jewellery for all kinds of occasions, especially, weddings. The Jawhara Heritage Jewellery Design Competition and Awards can trigger youth to redevelop and revive our heritage jewellery lines and bring them back to life."
To make your submissions, fill out application form at www.heritagejewellerydesign.com.