GUILD’s 5th Aurora International Jewelry Competition Concludes | From Mine to Masterpiece

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The awards ceremony for GUILD’s 5th Aurora International Jewelry Competition was held in Shuibei, Shenzhen, on September 23, bringing together jewelry professionals, participants, and partners from China and abroad. A total of 61 honors were announced at the event.

This year’s competition was jointly initiated by GUILD Gem Laboratories, GUILD Institute of Gemology, and Brazil’s BELMONT. BELMONT has long been engaged in emerald mining and related operations in Brazil, while GUILD has conducted field expeditions and market research across gemstone-producing regions worldwide under its “From Mine to Market” approach. The two organizations’ respective experience in mining operations and gemological research also reflects this year’s theme, “From Mine to Masterpiece.”

At the awards ceremony, Ms. Ruby Liu, President of GUILD Gem Laboratories and Founder of GUILD Institute of Gemology; Mr. Marcelo Ribeiro, CEO of the Belmont Group, Brazil and Ms. Tang Zengyu, Vice President of SJIS, a special partner of this year’s competition, delivered remarks.

Launched on May 27, 2026, the competition went through more than four months of global submissions and multiple rounds of judging. More than 1,000 entries were submitted from around the world, with over 300 selected for the final round.

Entries spanned colored gemstones, pearls, jade, and other gemstone categories, as well as loose stones, cutting, finished jewelry, and designer pieces. Feicui was officially included in the Aurora judging categories for the first time this year.

At the awards ceremony, well-known blogger SONE, KYAUNG (Chinese name: Cun Daizhao), Lu Fangjun, Qian Yuanyuan, and a group of professional models presented the Aurora Jewelry Show. A selection of jewelry pieces was showcased on the runway, with the movement of the models bringing their forms and lines into view and presenting the dynamic designs and natural luster of the gemstones from multiple angles.

From Mine to Masterpiece

The 5th Aurora International Jewelry Competition adopted “From Mine to Masterpiece” as its annual theme, extending its focus beyond finished jewelry to the origins of the gemstones themselves.

The awards ceremony brought together professionals from gemstone-producing regions around the world, international industry associations, and jewelry companies. Capt. Ramji Sharma, Vice President and Chair of the Membership Committee of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), has nearly 40 years of experience in the colored gemstone industry. He has worked extensively across gemstone-producing regions and trading markets worldwide, with experience in rough gemstone sourcing, cutting and processing, and international trade. Mr. Guillermo Galvis, President of the Colombian Emerald Exporters Association, and Mr. Rizwan Nayeem, President of the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association, also attended the ceremony.

Ms. Miriam Mimo Kamau of Kenya is Founder and President of Mimo Gem Traders, Director for Kenya of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), and Chair of the Colored Gemstones Association of Africa (CGAA). She has long been involved in Africa’s colored gemstone industry. Other guests included Mr. Evan Caplan, President of Rare & Fine Gemstone; Mr. Clement Sabbagh, Director of Sabbagh Bros; Mr. Charles Carmona, Founder of GUILD Gem Laboratory and Board Member of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA); Mr. Sergio Martins, Founder of Stone World; and Mr. Rahul Jain, Director of Caram.

Ms. Haimanot Sisay, an Ethiopian gemologist and Founder and CEO of the Africa Gemological Training Institute (AGTI), shared field footage and firsthand gemological findings from Ethiopia’s Paraiba mining area at the awards ceremony. As the first and only gemologist to have conducted an in-depth field investigation of Ethiopia’s Paraiba mining area, she offered attendees a closer look at this newly discovered gemstone source from a field research perspective.

Representatives from professional institutions and industry associations also attended, including Mr. Victor Chan, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers Association (HKJJA); Mr. He Tieyuan, Secretary General of the Zhejiang Pearl Industry Association; Mr. Lin Xifeng, President of the Guangdong Colored Gemstone & Jewelry Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Tu Xingcai, President of the Shenzhen Pearl Industry Association; Mr. Du Ban, President of the Shenzhen Jewelry Designers Association; and Mr. Guo Ying, Dean of the School of Gemology at China University of Geosciences (Beijing).

Five Editions of Aurora Explore New Possibilities for Gemstones

Since the launch of the first Aurora International Jewelry Competition, the scale of submissions has continued to grow, the range of categories has expanded, and works and industry professionals from different countries and regions have continued to participate.

The inaugural competition in 2022 received hundreds of entries from around the world and reached more than 30 million people. In 2023, submissions to the second competition exceeded 1,000. In 2024, the number grew to more than 1,300. In 2025, the competition partnered with the World Pearl Congress to launch a dedicated Shanxiahu Pearl edition, marking its first standalone competition focused on pearls. In 2026, at the 5th edition, Feicui was officially included in the judging categories for the first time.

Over the past five years, the GUILD Aurora International Jewelry Competition has continued to develop while expanding into different jewelry categories and the industries behind them. Participants from gemstone-producing regions, industry associations, jewelry companies, and professional research fields around the world have come together through the competition, bringing different perspectives on gemstones, market observations, and creative approaches. The exchange of different backgrounds and experiences has gradually made GUILD Aurora a platform for the global jewelry industry to share perspectives and build connections.

Across five editions, the gemstones, jewelry pieces, and creators participating each year have collectively formed an evolving record of the competition. Through these works, changes in jewelry categories, creative expression, and industry interests over different periods can also be observed.

Five years have documented a wide range of works and stories, while also marking a new starting point.

From Mine to Masterpiece, the exploration and creation of natural gemstones continue.

About GUILD Gem Laboratories

Founded in Los Angeles in 1980, GUILD Gem Laboratories is an international gemological institution with systematic research capabilities across colored gemstones, diamonds, pearls, and jade. GUILD currently operates seven laboratories in Los Angeles; Bangkok; Beruwala, Sri Lanka; and Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuji, and Hong Kong, China. Through scientific research and “From Mine to Market” Field Gemology practices, GUILD has long been committed to providing the jewelry industry with accurate and verifiable information for gemstone identification and grading.

Contact

Contact person: Dany Chen
Email: chendanning@guildlab.cn

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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