Our Judges
The judging panel is made up of influential industry and consumer editors and experts in the sector – all of whom bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the panel.
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Maria Doulton
Watches and jewellery expert, editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Jewellery Editor.
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Liz Olver MA RCA
Jewellery industry expert and founder of her own independent Jewellery Consultancy.
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Tomasz Donocik
Award-winning designer and 2006 Bright New Gem. Founder of Tomasz Donocik London.
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Susi Smither
Award-winning jewellery designer, responsible and sustainable industry expert. Founder of both The Rock Hound and Fair Luxury.
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Ruby Beales
Jewellery buyer at Liberty London.
Judge Susi Smither commented:
"With a legacy of talent spotting the best jewellery graduates over the course of the last twenty years, the onus is on us judges to get it right. It is always an honour and this year proved challenging as it was tight at the top. We’re thrilled to share our new cohort and I can’t wait to watch them shine.”
Judge Liz Olver commented:
“Marking 20 years of Bright New Gems with such a strong group of winner feels incredibly rewarding. Each has shown originality and commitment, and it’s inspiring to see how the next generation of jewellers is shaping the future of our industry.”
Our Sponsors
Support from the jewellery industry is invaluable. Our thanks to National Association of Jewellers for their dedicated mentoring,
The Benevolent Society for donating a travel and accommodation bursary
Retail Jeweller for support and exhibition space at the Retail Jeweller Festival,
The Goldsmiths’ Centre for their ‘Getting Started’ training support,
The Rock Hound for mentoring and business support
Jewel Ads for showcasing the winners and their work
ASIC-SA for sponsoring our Design & Make 20th Anniversary Competition
The GoldDust Collective for membership support for our winners
&WORNSTUDIO for website, video, photography and social media content creation
Boekbinder Photography for event photography