Exceptional and inspiring leaders honoured at JNA Awards 2019

HONG KONG, Sept. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The eighth annual JNA Awards, one of the most highly-acclaimed award programmes in the international jewellery and gemstone industry, ended on a high note and was well attended by industry dignitaries and trade leaders in Hong Kong on 17 September.

Organised by Informa Markets, the Awards celebrates and recognises entrepreneurs and companies that set high standards for excellence, innovation, and outstanding business performance. A total of 45 Honourees were feted this evening for their notable accomplishments in the past year. Among them, 16 were honoured as Recipients across 11 award categories by a highly-respected and experienced panel of judges.

Three outstanding leaders from the retail sector, Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, Hung Ming Li and Wang Chun Li are the Recipients of this year's highest accolade, the Lifetime Achievement Award. These are exceptional leaders well-known for their instrumental roles in transforming and shaping the retail landscape in their respective field and region.

The 16 Award Recipients across 11 categories are:

1. Brand of the Year – Retail
   Shenzhen Sunfeel Jewelry Co Ltd – China
2. eSupplier of the Year
   Kapu Gems – India
3. Industry Innovation of the Year
        3a. Industry Innovation of the Year – Diamond Identification
              Diamond Services Ltd – Hong Kong
        3b. Industry Innovation of the Year – Jewellery Manufacturing Technology
              3D Kaiente Jewellery Co Ltd – China 
        3c. Industry Innovation of the Year – Production Technology
              Sahajanand Technologies Pvt Ltd – India 
              Shenzhen Future Wisdom Jewelry Co Ltd – China
4. Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing – Creativity & Innovation
   China Stone Co Ltd – Thailand
5. Manufacturer of the Year – Jewellery
   Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd – Hong Kong
6. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – China
   DECENT Gold Group Co Ltd – China
7. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – Countries/Regions outside of China and India
   FRANK & co – Indonesia
8. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – India
   H.K. Designs – India
9. Retailer of the Year
   Luk Fook Holdings (International) Limited – Hong Kong
   Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company – Vietnam
10. Sustainability Initiative of the Year
    Shenzhen Xingguangda Jewelry Industrial Co Ltd – China
11. Young Entrepreneur of the Year (age 40 and below)
    Abhay Chordia, Ashok Jewels – India
    Angelina Lau, SK Jewellery Group – Singapore

Letitia Chow, Chairperson of the JNA Awards, and Director of Business Development – Jewellery Group at Informa Markets, said, "Tonight, we are celebrating a milestone in the jewellery and gemstone trade. These companies have demonstrated that with perseverance and forward-thinking, even in times of challenges, our industry can adapt, transform and continue to make positive impacts to the growth of the business. For that, they truly deserve our sincere congratulations and applause."

Commented on the 2019 JNA Awards, James Courage, one of the principal judges of the Awards remarked, "With increased interest in the Awards, the quality and scope of the entries have increased; hence the judges endeavour to follow up with submissions and clarify, where appropriate, on paper and in-person to ensure comprehension and understanding of the joint judging process and a clear insight into each entry."

Albert Cheng, one of the principal judges of the Awards shared, "It was proven to me, during this year's due diligence visits to the Awards' entrants, that the passion of the founders and the way they communicate their visions to their customers via their staff and products or services determine the successes of the brands and companies. I am very proud to honour and recognise these successful entrepreneurs through the JNA Awards."

Kent Wong, Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group remarked, "This year marks the 90^th anniversary of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, as well as our eighth consecutive year as a Headline Partner of the JNA Awards. Throughout these years, we are honoured to have grown with the JNA Awards and witnessed the continuous breakthroughs in the industry."

Lin Qiang, President & Managing Director of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange and one of the Awards judges shared, "With the JNA Awards gaining increasing recognition and influence since its inception, the 2019 JNA Awards has reached an unprecedented high. To be able to stand out as an Honouree among the entrants is no easy feat, and to eventually become a Recipient shows that one is indeed the cream of the crop. All of them have achieved great accomplishments and I am sincerely happy for them."

Kenneth Scarratt, CEO of DANAT concluded, "It is a tremendous honour for DANAT to be involved with the JNA Awards once again in 2019; a celebration of all that is great with our amazing gem and jewellery industry. Indeed, we are at awe, once again, with the organisation that goes into the preparations, the determination that goes into the judging, and the extraordinary quality of the Recipients."

In addition to Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook, Shanghai Diamond Exchange and DANAT, the JNA Awards is supported by Honoured Partners KGK Group, China Gems & Jade Exchange, and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited.

ENDS

For more information, visit www.JNAawards.com or contact:
JNA Awards Marketing
Informa Markets (Hong Kong) 
+852 2516-2184
[email protected]

Notes for Editors:

1.      About the Headline Partner

1.1 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (www.chowtaifook.com)

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011.

Founded in 1929, the Group's iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" has been widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and is renowned for its product design, quality and value. The success of the Group and its iconic brand is rooted in innovation, craftsmanship and heritage. The Group also holds other jewellery brands including CHOW TAI FOOK T MARK, Hearts On Fire, MONOLOGUE and SOINLOVE, which are the first examples of a long term multi-brand strategy rollout.

The Group's commitment to sustainable growth is anchored in its "Smart+" strategy, which is in place to promote long term innovation in the business, in people and in culture. Another asset underpinning sustainable growth is a sophisticated vertically integrated business model. This supports the Group by fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain to communities and industry partners. 

With an extensive retail network in Greater China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States, and a fast-growing e-commerce business, the Group is implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies to succeed in today's omni-channel retail environment.

1.2 Shanghai Diamond Exchange (www.cnsde.com)

Authorised by the State Council, the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) is the only diamond exchange in China and provides diamond dealers a fair and safe transaction venue under close supervision. It also enjoys a favourable taxation policy and is operated in accordance with international best practices of the diamond industry.

Established in 2000, the SDE is a non-profit, self-regulating membership organisation and a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.

1.3 Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones -- DANAT (http://www.danat.bh)

The Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT) was established in 2017, at the instigation of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. DANAT was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom. As an organisation, DANAT has evolved from the Pearl & Gem Testing Laboratory of Bahrain (the first laboratory of its kind in the region), which was established in 1990. DANAT was formed to expand upon and enhance the excellent work of the laboratory, with the vision of becoming the world's preferred institute for natural pearl and gemstone third-party verification services and scientific research.

DANAT plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing the public trust in pearls, gemstones and jewellery. With its offices located at the iconic Bahrain World Trade Center, DANAT aims to establish itself as the window into international markets, serving local and global clients and bolstering the reputation of the Kingdom as a leading centre for pearl and gemstone expertise. DANAT is an authority on industry standards, scientific knowledge and education, and is committed to the highest standards of professional and personal ethics. It is dedicated to supporting the pearl and gemstone industry and offers training programmes locally, regionally and internationally to a new generation of gemmologists, industry professionals and gemmology enthusiasts.

2.      About the Honoured Partners

2.1 KGK Group (www.kgkgroup.com)
The KGK Group was founded in 1905 by Kesrimal Kothari and Ghisilal Kothari of Jaipur (India), with the humble task of trading gemstones between India and Burma. With a global presence across 19 countries today, the privately held group has evolved into one of the most preferred brands in the gemstone and jewellery industry, with a vertically integrated operation that spans the entire supply chain from mines to brands. KGK is one of the few conglomerates covering the entire spectrum of mining, sourcing, manufacturing and distribution of coloured gemstones, diamonds and jewellery for over a century. KGK Group has a resilient team of 12,000 employees with operations and offices in Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe and Africa. Having achieved an impeccable reputation in the gemstone, diamond and jewellery trade, the group has recently diversified into real estate.

2.2 The China Gems & Jade Exchange (www.csgje.com)
China Gems & Jade Exchange (CGJE) is a national gem and jade trading platform approved by the State Council.

China Gems & Jade Exchange adheres to the principle of "Led by Technology, Develop with Innovation", and using the latest real-time traceability, big data, block chains, highend intelligent technology to solve various bottlenecks in the development of the gemstone industry. At present, two platforms have been built, namely, gemstone trading service platform and intelligent supply chain service platform. CGJE has become the only international gemstone trading service platform with full process tracking service in the industry.

In line with the basic principles of " fairness, impartiality and openness", China Gems & Jade Exchange combines the concepts of "innovation, advancement and compliance" to provide high-quality and professional third-party supporting trade services for jewelry enterprises at home and abroad.

2.3 The Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (www.gdland.com.hk)

The Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND), with its headquarters in Hong Kong, is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, and is a subsidiary of GDH Limited, which is Guangdong Province's largest conglomerate operating outside Mainland China.

The principal business of GDLAND is property development and investment, including but not limited to the development and operational management of the innovative commercial real estate, urban complex and industrial business complex. As the strategic arm of GDH Limited, GDLAND engages in the business development of commercial real estate, as well as urban and industrial complex projects.

GDLAND's flagship project, namely the "Buxin Project," is planned to become the biggest and most advanced jewellery mart in the world, including a large-scale jewellery trading and exhibition centre along with other facilities, with a lot size of over 87,000 square metres and a construction scale (floor area) that is projected to exceed 700,000 square metres. The Buxin Project, which is located in the Buxin area of Luohu district in Central Shenzhen, close to the Shuibei Gold and Jewellery Base, is expected to develop the area into one of the most influential gold and jewellery trading and exchange platforms in China and around the world.

3.      About Informa Markets (www.informamarkets.com)

Informa Markets creates platforms for industries and specialist markets to trade, innovate and grow. Our portfolio is comprised of more than 550 international B2B events and brands in markets including Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure, Construction & Real Estate, Fashion & Apparel, Hospitality, Food & Beverage, and Health & Nutrition, among others. We provide customers and partners around the globe with opportunities to engage, experience and do business through face-to-face exhibitions, specialist digital content and actionable data solutions. As the world's leading exhibitions organiser, we bring a diverse range of specialist markets to life, unlocking opportunities and helping them to thrive 365 days of the year. For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com.

SOURCE JNA Awards