Susy Gubelin of the Gubelin Gem Lab and Tom Moses of GIA to Serve as Gem Expert Advisors to JNA Awards 2012

HONG KONG, Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewellery News Asia (JNA), main organiser of the inaugural JNA Awards, has enlisted Susy Gubelin of the Gubelin Gem Lab and Tom Moses, Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Senior Vice President, Laboratory and Research, as the gem expert advisors to the panel of judges of the JNA Awards 2012 on the "Wonder of the World" category. This category recognises rare and precious natural gem material deemed worthy of the "Wonder of the World" title.

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Judging for the "Wonder of the World" category will take place on 19 September and the recipient of the award will be announced during the JNA Awards ceremony and gala dinner on 20 September 2012. GIA and the Gubelin Gem Lab will be the official gem testing laboratories of the JNA Awards 2012 Wonder of the World category.

Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development - Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, and the Chair of the JNA Awards judging panel said: "To have the world's two leading gem laboratories advising the JNA Awards judging panel on our Wonder of the World category attests to the importance and recognition of this award in the international gemstone industry.  We are very excited that Gubelin and GIA will be part of this significant step for the development of the gemstone trade."

"GIA is honoured to support the JNA 'Wonder of the World' Award, which recognises significant contributions to our global industry," said GIA's Tom Moses. "Both JNA and GIA are dedicated to furthering knowledge in and of the gem and jewellery industry; JNA through their professional and insightful publications and GIA through research, laboratory services, education and public outreach."

More than 50 years ago, GIA created the international standard for describing diamond quality: the 4Cs (Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight) and the GIA International Diamond Grading System™, which includes the D-to-Z colour scale, the Flawless-I3 clarity scale, and the Excellent-Poor cut grading scale. Staffed by expert diamond graders, gemmologists and leading researchers, GIA laboratories set the standard for grading practices worldwide. As a public-benefit, non-profit organisation, GIA works to ensure the public trust in gems and jewellery through education, research, laboratory services, and instrument development, and by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism.

Susy Gubelin of the Gubelin Gem Lab said: "We feel honoured to have been elected as gem expert advisory partner for the JNA 'Wonder of the World' Award, and it is indeed exciting for us to contribute with our expertise to the success of the JNA Awards event."

As a gemmological laboratory, the Gubelin Gem Lab confines itself to the analysis and interpretation of the scientific characteristics of gemstones. They are committed to contributing to and maintaining a healthy and sustainable gemstone industry. It is their mission to protect their clients by providing the trade with nothing but fact-based, accurate, and unbiased information on gemstones. The Gubelin Gem Lab combines state-of-the-art analytical techniques, expertise and extensive practical skills when it comes to interpreting gemmological and geological data and rendering a professional opinion on diamonds, coloured stones and pearls.

The shortlisted honourees for the first nine categories of the JNA Awards were announced on the first day of the June Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. For the complete list, go to: www.jnaawards.com.

At the ceremony, JNA will also be honouring Nicky Oppenheimer, former chairman of De Beers Group, with a Lifetime Achievement Award to recognise his significant contribution to the global diamond business, particularly in Asia.

The JNA Awards feature Rio Tinto and Chow Tai Fook as Headline Partners, with Israel Diamond Institute, Shanghai Diamond Exchange, Robert Wan Tahiti and the KARP Group as Honoured Partners.

About the JNA Awards

The JNA Awards is an industry-wide event that honours and recognises excellence and achievement in the jewellery trade. The Awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held on September 20, 2012, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.

The event, the first of its kind in Asia, is organised by Jewellery News Asia (www.jewellerynewsasia.com) of UBM Asia in collaboration with UBM Awards.

The JNA Awards 2012 is a ticketed event by application only. Interested parties may submit their request by logging on to www.JNAawards.com.  

The world-renowned tenor Warren Mok accompanied by young American soprano Corinne Winters will perform for the guests at the JNA Awards ceremony and gala dinner.

Jewellery News Asia, first published in 1983, is the flagship magazine of UBM Asia's Jewellery Group. The publication is a leader in providing the latest industry updates and in-depth reports, covering the international jewellery trade with an Asian insight. Following its success, the publication launched its online edition, www.jewellerynewsasia.com in June 2011.

Note for Editors:

1.    About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)

Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia operates in 19 market sectors with headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia, including UBM China in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Beijing. We have over 240 products including trade fairs, conferences, trade publications, B2B/B2C portals and virtual event services. As Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in China, India and Malaysia, we stage the leading events of their kind across the region. Our 200 events, 24 publications and 16 vertical portals serve over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world with high value face-to-face business-matching events, quality and instant market news and industry trends, and round-the-clock online trading networks and sourcing platforms. We have over 1,100 staff in 21 major cities across Asia, stretching from Japan to Turkey.

2. About UBM plc (www.ubm.com)

UBM plc is a leading global company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, and from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,600 staff in more than 31 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business effectively and efficiently.

3. About UBM Awards

UBM Awards is UBM plc's awards organiser and producer. Based in London, UBM Awards specialises in end-to-end delivery of cross-sector awards programmes and bespoke events worldwide. UBM Awards organises more than 30 awards and bespoke events annually including the National Business Awards, the Asian Awards and the National Sales Awards.

Please contact:

Jewellery News Asia
UBM Asia (Hong Kong)
+852-2516-1683
[email protected]

Paul Pimlett, Events Director
UBM Awards (UK)
+44 (0) 20-7921-8090
[email protected]

SOURCE UBM Asia Ltd