Singapore Jewellery & Gem Fair: A Festival of Jewellery Design and Artistry

SINGAPORE, Oct. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singapore Jewellery and Gem Fair (SJGF), which opens to public today at Marina Bay Sands (Hall A & B) till 29 October, brings a wide showcase of exquisitely designed and made jewellery pieces from more than 120 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions.

The pilot launch of the digital service for Hand-Carried Exports Scheme (HCES) was a key highlight of the event's welcome ceremony. Underlining the launch in his welcome address, Mr. Ho, President, Singapore Jewellers Association (SJA) spoke about the current HCES, which allowed suppliers to zero-rate, or charge GST (Goods & Services Tax) at 0 per cent on their supplies of goods hand-carried out of Singapore via Changi International Airport to their overseas customers. This scheme will be digitalised, driving end to end digitisation of the permit declaration and endorsement. Suppliers can now receive a digitised permit clearance, instead of the carrier posting the endorsed physical permit clearance back to them. This provides a digital loop, eliminating the need for the paper return.

In his speech, Mr Ho also emphasised on the importance of attracting young blood and foster entrepreneurship in the jewellery [design] industry, "The jewellery industry has truly evolved over the years, especially in recent years, when we see the emergence of home grown jewellery designers. Some have sought to break from tradition, while others have created something new from tradition. We believe this is what makes the industry a dynamic market to work in," he said.

"From the very beginning, the Singapore Jewellery and Gem Fair has strived to be the platform for the local jewellery industry to share their knowledge and expertise with industry and public communities By doing this, we hope to enhance the profiles of home-grown jewellery designers and spotlight developments in the jewellery design scene. A visit to the show offers our visitors a holistic experience, as they will be able to see, touch, listen and even taste the event through the various event highlights and activities," said Mr. Andrew Tan, Senior Event Manager, Food & Hospitality & Lifestyle from event organiser, UBM.

Celebrating Jewellery Design

Following the welcome ceremony, a panel discussion was held on "Jewellery Design 4.0 -- The Way Forward", where veterans and budding designers convened and discussed about the evolution of jewellery design and challenges impacting designers and the industry. Moderated by Mr. Alexander Zupancich, Director, Jewellery Design and Management International School (JDMIS), the panel featured Mr Michael Koh, Owner of Caratell, Ms Sara Tan, Owner of An Order of Bling, Ms Sara Taseer, Owner & Founder of Sara Taseer Fine Jewellery and Mr Danilo Giannoni, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Arte Oro.

Rounding up the ceremony was the crowning of the winners of the Singapore Jewellery and Design Award. Organised by the Singapore Jewellers Association (SJA), the competition recognises and encourages budding jewellery designers from around the world. This year's competition was based on the theme of Sacred Geometry and received over 150 entries. In addition to cash prizes, the winning designs will also be crafted into real jewellery pieces for retailing. Special guests and visitors at SJGF were the first to catch a glimpse of these winning designs before they are put on the market. 

The top three winners are:

• Winner -- "View in the Window": Huang Lixue, Kunming University of Science and Technology, China
• 1^st Runner-up -- "The Building Blocks of Diamond": Helios Tan, Jewellery Design and Management International School, Singapore
• 2^nd Runner-up -- "Queen of Air": Mila Pikova, B & D Institute of Business and Design, Moscow, Russia

Exhibition Highlights

The inaugural Designer Atelier Pavilion highlights fascinating, hand crafted jewellery from local and regional artisan jewellery designers. These include one-of-a-kind designs and signature collections from Obellery Studio, Carrie K., An Order of Bling, Chrysalis Jewels, Solo Jewels, MyDesign of Gems and Love Thy Stones.

Vihari Jewels is displaying the world's first and only cat's eye emerald necklace and earrings set from Brazil weighing over 500 carats, a 51 carat star ruby ring from Myanmar and a 18.44 carat green emerald earrings from Columbia - all are certified by Gubelin Gem Lab. The star ruby ring and green emerald earrings are especially rare as they are each certified to have no indications of heating and clarity enhancement. Kite-shaped cut natural colour diamonds, certified by Gemmological Institute of America, are also on display at the Vihari booth.

Having produced fine jewellery for some of the best brands worldwide, De Shervin offers quality manufacturing at one stop. Whether you are looking to produce quality bridal rings, bespoke jewellery items or even a unique jewellery line, De Shervin will be showcasing a variety of services at their booth.

Glajz creates bespoke jewellery pieces with a niche in the fancy colour diamond market. Numerous limited edition jewellery lines, produced under licence from The Argyle Pink Diamond brand, will be on display at Glajz's booth.

More than just an exhibition

Beyond the exhibition unveils a series of fun workshops and interactive seminars for visitors to fully immerse themselves in. At the Art & Lifestyle showcase, visitors can browse through an eclectic selection of contemporary art, crafts, furniture and a wide range of lifestyle products from Southeast Asia and beyond. What's more -- for the financially savvy visitor, seminars on art investment will be held at the Jewels Arena.

Australian artist, Emma Hack, only on opening day, is displaying her special body paint camouflage techniques on the SJGF showfloor. Working on a live model, Emma will meticulously hand paint a jewellery-themed design to blend her into the background. Following the body painting, the model will be decked in uniquely designed jewellery pieces from up-and-coming jewellery designers, Sara Sze Tan of An Order of Bling and Jonathan Yun of Chrysalis Jewels.

The Gem Jamming sessions, JewelTalk seminars, the Gem Rendezvous by The Gem Museum, and a special workshop on "Poetry of Enamelling" by Caratell, offer a myriad of opportunities for anyone with a desire to learn more about their favourite rocks.

For individuals keen to test their creativity, they can join the Design-Your-Ring competition at the event. With help from JDMIS ambassadors on the ground, visitors will be guided through the design process in 15 minutes.

To wind down from all the excitement, visitors can enjoy complimentary hot or cold cups of the 'Singapore Dream' -- a specially designed tea for SJGF by Tea Forté and Gifel Fine Teas. Be the first to have a taste at SJGF's Tea Bar!

For more information on the Singapore Jewellery & Gem Fair, please visit www.singaporejewellerygemfair.com. Photos from the welcome ceremony and exhibition can be downloaded from the link here.

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Event at a glance:

SOURCE UBM Asia Ltd