Every two years, HRD Antwerp organises a competition for talented jewellery designers. It is internationally recognised as one of the world's most important jewellery design competitions today. Its goal is to inspire and promote creativity in the design of contemporary diamond jewellery.
The competition aims at extending the limits of the modern diamond jewel and avant-garde ideas. The artist is given free rein and exclusive couture creations are a must. The contest also seeks to promote diamonds in general and Antwerp as a centre of excellence.
In the framework of World Expo Milano 2015, which will run from 1 May until 31 October, 2015, HRD Antwerp is pleased to announce the launch of the 16th edition of the HRD Awards. This year we provide you with a theme that corresponds to the overall World Expo theme 'Food':
'A LA CARTE | A Culinary Diamond Journey'
Designers are invited to dive into their own culinary heritage, in order to produce brilliant diamond jewels.
Download Travelplan 2016The Public voting for the final nominees of the 2015 HRD Awards is now closed.
The winner of the public voting, together with the HRD Awards winner and the three finalists selected by the Professional Jury, were revealed during the HRD Awards Ceremony on the 29th of October in Antwerp.
The winner selected by the professional Jury is “ Rice Husks” by Tomoko Kodera. The winner by public voting is "Tea Time" by Sancha Livia Resende.
The winning design will be awarded with a cash prize of 10,000 USD. The four finalists will get 2,500 USD each.
A scintillating celebration and top networking event that gathers captains of industry, the fine fleur of the international diamond and jewellery world, international media and trade press as well as the five finalists.
A LA CARTE | A Culinary Diamond Journey, your food for thought
Food and culture: Our relationship with food is complex. From biological to cultural, from nutritional to symbolic. Our cultural identity depends on food. What we eat defines who we are.
Your challenge: To explore Earth's inexhaustible wealth of flavours and tastes; to cook an exquisite dish and translate your mouth-watering recipe into a unique piece of diamond jewellery that makes us crave more.
Your inspiration: Your favourite dish, smell, taste, ... Your grandmother's kitchen secrets, odours that take you back in time, the past recaptured and seasoned with local ingredients.
The icing on the cake: Your unique design commercialised. In cooperation with a jewellery manufacturer, your unique jewellery design can be translated into a commercial line. A unique partnership between HRD Antwerp, the jewellery manufacturer and the designer.
Win-win: An agreement will be drawn up to the benefit of all partners involved (manufacturer/retailer will pay x% royalty to the designer and y% to HRD Antwerp). Jewels sold need to be accompanied by a customised HRD Antwerp Diamond Certificate or a Diamond Jewellery Report with reference to the HRD Awards.
A professional jury will pre-select the designs that will enter the next stage of the competition: The actual creation of the jewel. Diamonds are provided by Antwerp and international diamond companies.
Our expert jury over the years has included such luminaries as Harumi Arikawa, CEO Albion Art, Tokyo; Didier Brodbeck, Editor in Chief, Diamond Dreams, Paris; Laura Cappelletti, Publisher Vogue Gioiello, Italy; Ann De Meulemeester, Fashion Designer; Virgenie Egre, Studio Joaillerie, Christian Dior, Paris; Axel Enthoven, CEO Antwerp; Fritz Falk, Curator Schmuckmuseum Phorzheim; Susan Farmer, Diamond Information Centre London; Joanne Hardy, Director Jewellery Department Sotheby's; Pascalle Lepeu, Collection Cartier, Genève; Jan Hoet, Curator SMAK, Ghent; Françoise Izaute, Director Platinum Guilt International, Italy; Prof. Zou Ningxin, University Beijing; Johanne Riss, Fashion Designer; Raymond Sancroft-Baker, Director Jewellery Department Christie's; Prof. Dr. Yoko Takagi, Bunka Josshi University, Tokyo; Prof. Dr. David Watkins, Royal College of Art, London.
Recognised today as one of the world's most important jewellery design competitions, the HRD Award competition was launched in 1984 as the "Antwerp Diamond High Council Awards", with the aim of enhancing creativity and design excellence in contemporary diamond jewellery in Belgium.
In 1988 the contest became biennial and brought along another innovation, and that was the selection of a theme around which the contestants would base their design. This year we celebrate the 16th edition of the HRD Awards.
An international mailing with the competition rules sent to all candidate designers has been signed by the participants for acknowledgement. These rules stipulate the following:
'The designer can be sponsored by a private firm, jewellery manufacturer or others. Preferably diamond companies with a registered office in Belgium supply (sponsor) the diamonds used in the jewellery pieces'.
An information meeting is planned by HRD ANTWERP. All the diamond companies in the sector will be invited. They can make their choice and sponsor a maximum of three jewels. The dossier with the selected drawings is available at HRD ANTWERP and on the website www.hrdantwerp.com.
Every candidate sponsor can choose three (3) designs in order of preference i.e. 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice.
When more than one candidate company chooses the same design, the design will be assigned by means of allotment.
The designer, diamond sponsor and jewellery sponsor will be mentioned by name or company name on all promotional publications and during each exhibition of the HRD Awards collection in Belgium and abroad. Every sponsor will be featured on the HRD Antwerp corporate website including a link to their company website.
All participants in the meeting will have a complete dossier at their disposal with all selected designs, an information document mentioning the address of the designer and a technical description of the design and the number of diamonds needed.
All the designs are numbered. This makes it easy for the candidate sponsor to choose a jewel and fill in its number on the application form. The diamond sponsors fill out:
The form has to be signed and forwarded to HRD ANTWERP before 15 December 2014.
If several diamond sponsors choose the same design, the design will be assigned by means of allotment. To do so, a new meeting will be planned in the presence of all candidate sponsors.
If after allotment some drawings still have not been selected by a diamond sponsor, HRD ANTWERP itself will contact other diamond companies or the designer can look for his/her own sponsor.
All selected laureates will receive an official letter from HRD ANTWERP that they can present to the diamond sponsor. This letter guarantees that the designer has been selected for the HRD Awards competition.
The diamond sponsor will personally negotiate with the designer to stipulate the terms and conditions for lending the diamonds during a period of minimum one-and-a-half years. Damage incurred while 'setting' or 'dismantling' the jewellery is the responsibility of the diamond sponsor and/or designer as stipulated in their agreement. HRD ANTWERP is not an involved party and has no responsibility whatsoever. If the diamond sponsor prefers not to ship the diamonds to the designer, he is also responsible for setting the diamond. The finished jewels have to be submitted at HRD ANTWERP before MARCH 15, 2015.
Possible claims for damages can be submitted to HRD ANTWERP within one month after the roundtrip of the jewel at the very latest. Sponsor or designer must collect the jewel within this term.
The international jury is scheduled to meet in April 2015 and the official award ceremony takes place in Milan (beginning of May or end of October 2015, to be confirmed).
DIAMOND COMPANIES ACCEPTING SPONSORSHIP FOR THE HRD AWARDS ORGANISED BY HRD ANTWERP AGREE TO LEND DIAMONDS TO THE FINALISTS OF THE COMPETITION. THIS IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DESIGNER AND THE DIAMOND COMPANY. HRD ANTWERP IS NO PARTY INVOLVED.
THE JEWELLERY PIECES (set or unset) WILL BE IMPORTED VIA DIAMOND OFFICE AS TEMPORARY IMPORT. ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS OFFICE IT IS ALLOWED TO MAKE CHANGES ON THE JEWELLERY PIECES, AS LONG AS THEY ARE EXPORTED IN THE SAME STATE AS THEY WERE IMPORTED. THIS MEANS THAT THE DESIGNERS CAN SHIP THEIR JEWELLERY PIECES UNSET AND THE DIAMOND SPONSOR CAN HAVE THE DIAMONDS SET IN ANTWERP.
THE DIAMOND SPONSOR CAN FORWARD THE DIAMONDS TO THE DESIGNER, WHO WILL MOUNT THEM AND SEND THE COMPLETE JEWELLERY PIECE TO HRD ANTWERP C/O ANTWERP WORLD DIAMOND CENTRE - DIAMOND OFFICE. SHIPMENT TO DIAMOND OFFICE IS ONLY MANDATORY FOR DESIGNERS OUTSIDE THE EC. CUSTOMS CLEARANCE WILL BE HANDLED BY DIAMOND OFFICE (AWDC).
IMPORTANT NOTICE. RETURN SHIPMENT OF THE JEWELLERY PIECE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PIECE MUST BE EXPORTED IN THE SAME CONDITION AS WHEN IT WAS IMPORTED, SINCE IT IS A TEMPORARY IMPORT.
DESIGNERS (OUTSIDE EC) FORWARD JEWELLERY PIECE (without diamonds) TO HRD ANTWERP. C/O AWDC - DIAMOND OFFICE. CUSTOMS CLEARANCE WILL BE HANDLED BY DIAMOND OFFICE (AWDC).
AWDC WILL DELIVER JEWELLERY PIECE TO HRD ANTWERP AND HRD ANWERP WILL ON HIS TURN DELIVER THE JEWEL TO THE DIAMOND SPONSOR WHO WILL HAVE THE DIAMONDS SET. THE FINISHED JEWEL WILL BE HANDED OVER TO HRD ANTWERP BY THE DIAMOND SPONSOR.
IMPORTANT NOTICE. RETURN SHIPMENT OF THE JEWELLERY PIECE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE JEWELLERY PIECE MUST BE EXPORTED IN THE SAME CONDITION AS WHEN IT WAS IMPORTED SINCE IT IS A TEMPORARY IMPORT. DESIGNERS LIVING IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DO NOT HAVE TO PASS TROUGH THE CUSTOMS OFFICE OF DIAMOND OFFICE. THEY CAN SHIP AND ADDRESS THEIR JEWELLERY PIECES DIRECTLY TO HRD ANTWERP. WITHIN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY FREE TRAFFIC OF GOODS DOES APPLY.
WHEN THE DIAMOND SPONSOR HAS ALSO A JEWELLERY COMPANY HE CAN IMPORT THE JEWELLERY PIECE (WITH OR WITHOUT DIAMONDS). WHEN THE SPONSOR ALSO WISHES TO PURCHASE THE JEWELLERY PIECE, IT IS PREFERABLE TO IMPORT THE JEWELLERY PIECE DEFINITELY. BEST WITHOUT DIAMONDS SINCE DIAMONDS ARE TVA FREE AND JEWELS ARE NOT, 2.4 % IMPORT DUTY + 21 % TVA WILL BE CHARGED.
A BANK GUARANTEE FOR THE VALUE OF THE JEWELLERY PIECES IS APPLIED FOR. THIS IS MANDATORY FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE OF THE JEWELLERY PIECES FOR TEMPORARY IMPORT.
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