Sri Lankan style at Jewellery Design Awards

The nine finalists at this year’s Sri Lanka Jewellery Design Awards are vying for the title of Jewellery Designer of the Year for 2015 in four different categories. The competition which is growing in prestige is organised by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association. It was held this year under the theme of “A new Sri Lankan style” for local participants and “Exotic Sri Lankan Blue Sapphires” for international participants. The local finalists are: Thamira Sajeewa Thotagamuwa, Priyanthie Dammika Kariyawasam, Chathurika Madushani Jayasinghe, Chamini Sajeeva Dasanayake, Achini Indika and Lakisha Weerakoon. Chairman of the organising committee Sellakumar Kandasamy said, “The awards honour outstanding work and applaud the most innovative jewellery designs. With Sri Lanka set to host the 25th anniversary edition of FACETS, the award certainly encapsulates what Sri Lanka has to offer in the form of these gorgeous statement pieces.” This year’s awards saw 27 local and 21 international applications yielding a final shortlist of nine. The selected local semi-finalists went through a mentoring programme with the Academy of Design (AOD) during which they met with lecturers at the Academy who advised them on the finer points of jewellery design. The judging panel comprised of eminent industry experts from the fields of art, architecture and design. For the first time, the awards also opened up the opportunity for foreign jewellery designers where they were required to use the Blue Sapphire as a primary gemstone. Of 26 designs received, three finalists were chosen; Kevin Susanto Ngo from Singapore, Zhang Yee Jing from Malaysia and Dhillon Harleen Kaur from India. With creativity and design being at the heart of the 2015 Awards, the Export Development Board which plays a prominent role in promoting, developing and recognising industry talent said that innovation is the cornerstone of the sector