HRD Antwerp relaunches its jewelery design competition

Antwerp—HRD Antwerp is relaunching its jewelry design competition for the first time since 2017, with winners to be announced at the Vicenzaoro show in January 2023.

The theme of the 18th edition of the HRD Design Awards is “peace”.

There are three categories, the traditional diamond jewelry and gemstone jewelry categories (rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings) and a new category, accessories, which includes shoes, handbags and watches .

The winner of each category will see the jewel or the accessory that he has made. They will also be members of the HRD community, with all the benefits included.

The entry deadline is October 15 and HRD Antwerp is due to announce the winners at a red carpet event on January 23, 2023.

CEO Ellen Joncheere said, “2022 is a year of disruption; who can make more sense of this than our young creative talents. Let them see how they put a face to hope and a more sustainable future,” she said.

HRD Antwerp said it was looking for “new creative talent all over the world”, especially in the United States, Africa and Europe. It asks design schools, creative platforms, governments and artists to encourage young designers in particular to participate.

For the latest edition of the competition in 2017, HRD Antwerp said it received entries from more than 800 designers in 38 countries.

Its target for the 2023 competition is 2,500 entries.

HRD Antwerp first held its jewelery design competition in 1984, then called the Antwerp Diamond High Council Awards. The objective then was to promote design excellence in contemporary diamond jewelery in Belgium.

In 1988, HRD Antwerp made the competition biennial and gave designers a theme.

In 2003, she opened the competition to designers from all over the world.