A Night at the Opera Contest

{{Jury Selects 44 Laureates from 1092 Designs}} %% Antwerp, November 15, 2006 - No less than 698 designers submitted 1,092 drawings for the “{{HRD Awards}}”, a biennial diamond jewellery design contest organized by the {{Diamond High Council (HRD)}}. The competition offers an international forum to young designers of innovative diamond jewellery. A jury of experts selected 44 laureates. Antwerp diamond companies have been offered the opportunity to sponsor the selected designs. %% The principal aim of the competition is to enhance creativity and design excellence in contemporary diamond jewellery. The theme “{{A Night at the Opera}}” gave the artists free rein. The contest also offers an international forum to the participating jewellery designers. %% The theme proved to be a very successful and a fruitful source of inspiration for almost 700 designers who submitted 1,092 drawings. A professional jury selected 44 designs of 44 artists from 11 countries. Creativity, originality, wearability and craftsmanship were the selection criteria of the jury. %% The large number of entries from all over the world shows that Antwerp also enjoys recognition as a diamond jewellery centre. %% The laureates include designer {{Neha Ghai}} of India and two other Indians {{Reena Ahluwalia}} and {{Reema Shah}} who have entered the contest from Canada and Belgium respectively. %% The selected entrants now have to create the actual jewellery piece in cooperation with one of the Antwerp diamond companies, which will supply the diamonds. The 44 finished jewellery items are to be submitted to HRD before March 9, 2007. This jewellery will be judged by a jury of experts of international repute, that will consider them for design excellence, innovation and craftsmanship. The winner of the competition will receive a cheque worth ¤ 5,000. %%{{ World Tour of Winning Creations:}}$$ All the laureates will benefit from a promotion program both in Belgium and abroad. It will be launched at a gala prize giving event on May 24, 2007. During the months of July and August the HRD Awards 2007 Collection will be displayed at the Diamond Museum, Province of Antwerp, and then will commence a world tour, for being shown at international jewellery fairs, as well as museums and jewellery galleries.