GJEPC’s Artisan Design Jewellery Awards on 12-13 February

This Year’s biggest Wearable Artworks & Crafts Design Fest 

Come and fall in love with Design once again this Valentine’s Day! The Year’s biggest Wearable Artworks & Crafts Design Fest will be celebrated at The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council’s Artisan Design Jewellery Awards 2024 on 12-13 February at the Ice Factory, Ballard Estate in South Mumbai. 

Among many design themes, Jewellery as Art will take centre-stage at the two-day event held on the eve of Valentine’s Day to celebrate people’s love and passion for art, design and jewellery. The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is the apex body of trade in India, supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 

The final judging round for the 7th edition of The Artisan Awards 2024, Powered by GIA, was held on 22nd January, 2024. Of the 20 captivating and well-finished jewellery pieces, the jury picked out 6 winners from the two unconventional themes of The Artisan Awards 2024: Unusual Materials and Objet Trouvé. This edition of The Artisan Awards received more than 600 entries from around the world including India, Canada, USA, Bahrain, Egypt, Dubai, and Pakistan.

The largest-ever congregation of luminaries and aesthetes from the world of Arts, Crafts & Design; curators, art gallery owners and patrons; art school teachers, deans and students; socialites, celebrities, connoisseurs, architects, painters and sculptors; along with jewellery designers (experienced and young) will grace GJEPC’s Artisan Jewellery Awards 2024 gallery showcase at Ice Factory. The discussions will revolve around two exciting and unconventional themes Unusual Materials and Objet Trouvé of the 7th edition of GJEPC’s The Artisan Jewellery Awards 2024.  

The first theme, Objet Trouvé (Found Objects) explores art crafted from visible yet frequently altered objects that are atypical yet serve as art materials due to their non-art function.  

A found object, whether it's natural, man-made, or even just a fragment, is preserved due to an inherent connection by the artist. It can be treated as a work of art in itself, and as a muse for inspiration.  

The idea was to design a piece of jewellery that depicts the essence of Object Trouvé by taking an object of your past and reimagining it in a modern form. Examples of found objects could include vintage poker chips, antique coins, collected shells, vintage Venetian glass beads, buttons, and beachcombed shells.  

The second theme, Unusual Materials encouraged designers to create a dialogue between the familiar and the unexpected by combining contrasting materials with at least 50% precious materials. Unusual materials could include cement, titanium, wood, porcelain, bamboo, slate, meteorite, glass, recycled plastic, leather and more.  

Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC, stated, “GJEPC’s vision extends beyond the conventional, aiming to redefine the landscape of jewellery design. Through the Artisan Jewellery Design Awards competition, India seeks to elevate itself and position as the global premier design hub, aligning with the government’s campaign of Design in India. Through this design competition, GJEPC reaffirms its commitment to encourage an environment that will nurture the creative spark within designers.”  

Milan Chokshi, Convener, Promotion & Marketing, GJEPC, adds, “Each year, we strive to introduce a distinctive theme, challenging participants by collaborating with curators to elevate their engagement. Over the past seven years, the Artisan Awards have assumed increasing significance globally, with India recognising them as the most coveted accolade.  

This prestigious award serves as a driving force, inspiring designers, budding students, and manufacturers to create thematic jewels at the highest echelon. The quality of production within this thematic framework is truly remarkable.”