Moda Jewellery and Watch launch bursary for emerging jewellery designers

Jewellery and Watch (J&W), the UK’s biggest returning jewellery showcase taking place at Moda, has announced a New Jewels Bursary in collaboration with the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) and sponsored by Curteis Creates to offer an up-and-coming jewellery designer access to invaluable advice and support.

The inaugural New Jewels Bursary is open to NAJ Designer members only, who showcase sustainability, diversity, and durability in their designs. The judging panel of industry experts is looking for jewellery designs that can be reproduced at scale, be bought as a gift, a thank you, or a just-because purchase. Organisers added that it will be “desirable” if the products are eligible for the NAJ’s Created in the UK scheme.

To enter, designers need to direct message the @UKNAJ Instagram account with a video entry and supporting images of their collection to apply.

The judges will select five finalists who will be invited to present their designs in a dedicated New Jewels showcase by the NAJ Lounge at Jewellery and Watch at Moda in Spring Fair, taking place from February 5 to 8 at Birmingham NEC. The final judging will take place at the show and the winner announced on the opening day.

Alejandra Campos, event director at Moda, said in a statement: “The New Jewels bursary is the fruit of a collaboration with the NAJ and shared goals and values to support and celebrate the new talent in this sector, especially during these challenging times.

“This competition aims to give up and coming jewellers a platform to launch their designs to the trade. The finalists’ work will be showcased at Jewellery and Watch, and the winner of the New Jewels bursary will receive invaluable advice from a series of mentoring sessions with key industry experts, as well as supported stands at two consecutive shows.”

The winning New Jewels Bursary will benefit from exclusive one-to-one mentoring sessions with Chris Oliver, head of professional training at Goldsmiths Centre, Emma Richards from Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Belinda Morris editor of NAJ’s Magazine ‘The Jeweller’, jewellery designer Arabel Lebrusan, and Sharon Good from Good Results PR.

The winner will also receive marketing and PR exposure across Spring Fair and the NAJ’s marketing channels, a video interview recorded at Spring Fair’s London-based studio, a complimentary stand at the next show and discounts on the following consecutive editions.