Start your engines. The entry period for the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards, a design competition for jewelers that’s judged solely by jewelry retailers, is officially open.
Jewelry designers and manufacturers have between Aug. 1 and Oct. 10 to submit original designs to the annual competition, the winners of which will be chosen by retailers voting online between Nov. 15 and Jan. 15, 2019.
Mark Smelzer, publisher of JCK magazine, says the allure of the awards for jewelers lies in its singular setup: “The Jewelers’ Choice Awards is still the only jewelry design awards in our industry voted on exclusively by retailers,” he says. “There’s no other awards program that provides such amazing exposure for its entrants—exposure directly to the best buyers in the industry!”
Winners in each category will be showcased in JCK’s March/April 2019 issue—and one grand prize–winning design will be featured on the cover of the magazine. The winning designs and designers will be also be featured on JCKonline.com and in an email to JCK News Daily subscribers promoting the Jewelers’ Choice Awards winners and finalists. The list of winners and booth numbers will be promoted in JCK magazine’s May and June 2019 issues, as well as in the JCK Las Vegas 2019 Show Daily publication.
And the perks don’t end there. At the JCK Las Vegas 2019 show, winners will enjoy additional exposure and will be recognized at a special JCK Las Vegas 2019 show event and in a video displayed at JCK’s show booth.
To enter, visit the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards website. Enter before Aug. 15 to enjoy early-bird rates: $575 for one entry and $495 for each additional entry. Entry fees after that are $600 for one entry and $515 for each additional entry.
One winner will be awarded in each of the following categories:
Diamond Jewelry
Colored Diamond Jewelry
Colored Stone Jewelry
Lab-Grown Diamond and/or Gemstone Jewelry
Tanzanite Jewelry
Pearl Jewelry
Platinum Jewelry
Gold Jewelry
Silver Jewelry
Contemporary Metal Jewelry
Fashion/Bridge Jewelry
Mixed Metal Jewelry
Personalized Jewelry
Men’s Jewelry
Bridal Design
Ring Design
Necklace Design
Bracelet Design
Earring Design
Statement Piece
Best Price Point
Victoria Gomelsky, editor-in-chief of JCK magazine, says she loves that the awards offer “something for everyone, be it lovers of colored stones, pearls, diamonds, or alternative metals.” She adds, “They offer smaller companies a way to be discovered. And they consistently feature some of the year’s most intriguing, wearable, and downright gorgeous jewels!”
It’s not only the winners and finalist who enjoy a visibility boost. All entries will receive year-round exposure on the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards page on JCKonline.com; be featured in JCK’s Jewelers’ Choice Awards Voting Guide section, which will be shared with the retail community as part of the November/December 2018 issue of JCK magazine; and will receive a “Vote for Us” marketing package, which includes a template email blast and images for your website to get retailers involved and remind them to vote for your designs.
Both winners and finalists will receive exposure in JCK’s magazine’s “Best of the Best” Jewelers’ Choice Awards supplement in the March/April 2019 issue (which is also sent to 6,000+ retail storefronts in May 2019); receive a JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards logo and collateral materials to promote their winning or finalist pieces and counter cards with the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards logo for display at the JCK Las Vegas 2019 show.
The opportunities to be discovered by influential retailers, media members, and consumers abound. Especially if your design ends up on top: “Not only is the grand prize–winning jewel the star of an original photo shoot for the cover of our March/April issue, all the winners are featured in the magazine,” Gomelsky says. “And the awards offer brands and designers an incentive to push their design boundaries and make something truly special. The editors are always asked to pick their favorite piece—from among all the entrants, not just the winners—and we never fail to fall in love.”
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
