This year at the JNA Awards, Industry Innovation of the Year tops the chart again as the most popular category in terms of entries and also scored the most number of companies shortlisted as Honourees. The impressive list of Honourees has demonstrated that there is room for innovation in the jewellery business, irrespective of their business nature, company size, or location. 

The Industry Innovation of the Year category examines and explores the use of innovation to enhance business performance along the full supply chain of jewellery business, from mine to market, covering marketing initiatives, customer service, technology and more. This year, the nine Honourees from China, Colombia, India, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States have been grouped into four subcategories based on their areas of innovation, namely, Customer Engagement, Digital Business, Marketing and Technology.

Among the shortlisted companies, there are miners, manufacturers, retailers, service providers as well as vertically integrated conglomerates, ranging from established companies with more than one century of history to start-ups that has just turned one year old; even the size of the teams varies greatly, from a small team of just more than ten people to teams with thousands of staff.

 The list of Honourees of the Industry Innovation of the Year category:

 Customer Engagement

• BOJEM, China (https://www.bojem.com/)
• Shineshilpi Jewellers Pvt Ltd, India (http://www.shineshilpi.com/)
• The Muzo Companies, Colombia (https://www.muzo.co/)

Digital Business

• GemCloud Software Limited, Thailand (https://www.thegemcloud.com/)
• Tracr, United Kingdom (http://tracr.com/)

 Marketing

• CHJ Jewellery, China (http://www.chjchina.com/)
• Le Vian, United States (https://www.levian.com/)
• MCLON Jewellery Company Limited, China (http://www.mclon.com/)

Technology

• KGK Diajewels Private Limited - a KGK Group company, India (http://www.kgkgroup.com/)

 “Although a piece of jewellery’s allure lies on its visual appeal, tactile impression and intrinsic value, it takes innovative solutions for one to successfully market it to a wider and more diverse audience. This is where the Honourees in the Industry Innovation of the Year category excel. They have digitised smartly and are making the most out of the Internet of Things (IoT) to stay ahead of the competition. Many of them focus on four areas: Customer Engagement, Digital Business, Marketing and Technology. Future aspirants of the awards, please take note,” shared Albert Cheng, CEO of Singapore Bullion Market Association and one of the principal judges of the JNA Awards.

 “It is very gratifying to see both the increase in the reach and the maintenance of quality and innovation in the 2020 entries – all the more so in a challenging year. For me, it illustrates the relentless energy of a traditional industry adapting to the evolving needs of today’s consumer, and the shifting commercial and marketing environment,” added James Courage, former Chief Executive Officer of Platinum Guild International who is also one of the principal judges of the JNA Awards.

 “Despite the difference in their business nature, history and cultures, these nine outstanding companies all have one thing in common. They have all demonstrated an ability to challenge status quo and push their thinking further to develop innovative and improved ways to enhance their business operations, achieving positive results. They have become trailblazers in their own rights.” expressed by Letitia Chow, Chairperson & Founder of JNA Awards at Informa Markets Jewellery.

 Recipients of the Industry Innovation of the Year category announced and feted, along with Recipients of other categories, at the first-ever hybrid JNA Awards Ceremony on 27 October 2020.

JNA Awards 2020 is supported by Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, and Shanghai Diamond Exchange, together with Honoured Partners KGK Group, and Guangdong Land (Shenzhen) Co Ltd.