IJ Design Awards

Official Rules

ELIGIBILITY

(a) Eligible Entrants:
The contest is open to businesses and individuals engaged in the design, manufacture, and retail of jewellery. For businesses who enter, the person submitting an entry on behalf of the business must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and must be properly authorized to enter on behalf of such business. For individuals who enter, you must be 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees (and their immediate families and household members) of IJ Magazine or IJH Group (“Organizer”), its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, or any other companies sponsoring the Awards are not eligible. Void where prohibited by law.

(b) Eligible Pieces:
To be eligible, the jewellery piece must:
(i) be commercially available,
(ii) be an original design, and
(iii) meet the category requirements (general and specific) for each category in which it is entered. The category requirements are set forth below.

(c) Any design that has previously won an award in any competition will not be eligible to participate.

(d) Only designs/jewellery manufactured in the year 2024–25 are eligible to participate.

(e) Product categories are only open to jewellery manufacturers.

(f) Retail categories are only open to jewellery retailers.

(g) The GIA Emerging Designer of the Year category is only open to jewellery design students.

GENERAL DESIGN CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • Each piece entered must be commercially available. A one-of-a-kind piece may be entered as long as it is commercially available.
  • Prototypes and/or CAD drawings will be disqualified. Only photographs of finished jewellery will be accepted.
  • A 360-degree product video is compulsory.
  • Semi-mounts should be shown with a center stone so that voters can see the design. You must indicate in the description if the price is for the semi-mount only. The category selected for a semi-mount should be based on the price of the semi-mount only, exclusive of the center stone.
  • All natural (i.e., mined) diamond jewellery must comply with the Kimberley Process system of warranties.

HOW TO ENTER (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • Submit entries to: IJ Magazine, Attn: IJ Design Awards 2025, Indian Jeweller Magazine, Journal House, A-95 Janta Colony, Jaipur – 302004, India.
  • Entries must be received by 1st November 2025.
  • A complete entry must include:
    1. A completed and signed entry form (all fields required).
    2. Photographs and videos submitted via WeTransfer/Drive link, meeting the photo submission requirements stated on the entry form.
    3. Entry fee payment, calculated in accordance with the Entry/Processing Fees table set forth on the entry form.
  • Late or incomplete entries will be disqualified. Once submitted, no additional or replacement photography or copy will be accepted.
  • You may submit up to 4 entries per category. Each entry requires a fee based on the number of submissions.

SELECTION OF FINALISTS AND WINNERS (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • Winners will be determined through a two-step judging process:
    1. Online voting by the panel of jury members on a secure IJ Design Awards website.
    2. Physical judging for all categories by a jury panel for the finalist products.
  • Photos from submissions will be posted for viewing and voting by 10th November 2025. The voting period will run from 10th November 2025 to 15th November 2025.
  • All voting will be anonymous. Any attempt to compromise the anonymity of voting will result in disqualification.
  • The top three (3) vote-getters in categories with fewer than 15 entries, and the top five (5) vote-getters in categories with 15 or more entries, will be deemed Finalists.

FINALISTS (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • Finalists will be notified in November 2025.
  • Finalists must submit their entered piece for the second round of judging at the Grand Jury Meet. Jewellery must be sent via insured, registered mail or hand-carried by a company executive.
  • Failure to submit the jewellery may result in disqualification.
  • Any piece that, upon inspection, is deemed ineligible for its category by the Organizer will be disqualified.

CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • Winners will be determined through physical evaluation of the finalist products at the Grand Jury Meet, based on design, innovation, craftsmanship, and wearability.
  • One winner will be selected in each category.
  • Winners will be notified in December 2025.

PRIZES (For Jewellery Manufacturers & Retailers)

  • All category award-winning pieces will be featured in the Dec–Jan issue of IJ Magazine.
  • All winners and finalists will be featured in the “Best of the Best” Design Award Supplement, mailed with the Jan/Feb issue of IJ.
  • Winners and finalists will receive the IJ Award logo and collateral materials for promotional use.
  • All category winners will receive an IJ Design Award Trophy at the award ceremony.
  • Winners and finalists will also receive a certificate from the Organizer.

GENERAL RULES

(a) Entries that do not comply with these rules will be disqualified.
(b) By submitting an entry, you grant the Organizer the right and license to reproduce, publish, distribute, and display your entry materials, in whole or in part, in any IJ publication or media. You also represent and warrant that:

  • The work depicted is your own original creation and does not infringe on any third-party rights.
  • The information provided on your Payment Form and Entry Form is accurate and complete.
  • You have obtained all necessary licenses and releases from persons involved in creating your entry materials (including photographers).
    (c) Entry materials (other than actual jewellery pieces) will not be returned.
    (d) The Organizer is not liable for lost, stolen, illegible, misdirected, damaged, or mutilated entries. Entry fees are non-refundable and will not be returned unless the competition is cancelled or postponed.
    (e) The Organizer reserves the right to cancel, postpone, or combine categories at its sole discretion. If a portion of the competition is cancelled or postponed, entry fees for affected submissions will be refunded within 30 days.
    (f) Winners must sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and publicity/liability release within 30 days of notification or risk disqualification.
    (g) Taxes and other expenses related to awards are the sole responsibility of the winners.
    (h) By entering, each entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules and the Organizer’s final decisions regarding the Awards.
    (i) Any forged or plagiarized entries will be immediately disqualified. The Organizer reserves the sole right to discard such entries without further explanation.