The 2023 edition of the prestigious Aurora Awards, organized by the Guild Institute of Gemology, China’s first and only international gemological institute, in collaboration with renowned gemstone miner Gemfields, has unveiled its remarkable victors. With global participation, the Aurora Awards featured contestants from around the world, making it a truly international affair.
The competition was segmented into five key categories, including loose colored gemstones, pearls, jewelry, cutting and polishing, and designer creations. During the two-month application period, the Aurora Awards received a multitude of entries from across the globe, culminating in a selection of 208 finalists after a stringent review process.
An esteemed panel of experts, industry leaders, and the public had the opportunity to cast their votes online, collectively submitting over two million votes to determine the ultimate award recipients. A gala evening was attended by 315 guests, with an additional 57,000 individuals joining the ceremony via livestream to witness the announcement of the winners.
As a prominent advocate of responsible mining and marketing of colored gemstones, Gemfields took pride in its role as the platinum sponsor of the Aurora Awards. The CEO of Gemfields, Sean Gilbertson, who had received one of the Extraordinary 40 accolades at the Jewellery World Awards (JWA) just the previous month, co-hosted the presentation of the Aurora Awards during his inaugural visit to China.
Ruby Liu, Founder of Guild Gem Laboratories (Asia) and Guild Institute of Gemology, and President of Guild Gem Laboratories, elaborated on the collaboration with Gemfields, stating, “As one of the most distinguished leaders in the colored gemstone industry, Gemfields has brought revolutionary improvements to the global supply chain, the highest ethical standards, and an unwavering commitment to professionalism. All of us benefit from their great efforts.”
The growing demand for colored gemstones in China has been remarkable, and Sean Gilbertson’s visit was an opportunity to engage with this burgeoning market. He remarked, “This has been an eye-opening trip to Shenzhen. I am awed by the scale of the gem and jewelry sector in the Shubei area, having seen the thousands of points of sale – and the many experienced hands running them – with my own eyes. Thanks to Guild’s kind introductions, I see tremendous opportunity for ruby engagement rings in particular, and Gemfields has set the wheels in motion to further support this segment. China is a very important market to Gemfields, and integral to the ongoing growth of the colored gemstone sector. We expect responsible sourcing will continue to receive ever-increasing attention and become progressively more important to Chinese jewelry buyers.”
