On September 25th, the third “Guild Aurora Awards International Gem and Jewelry Competition” award ceremony, jointly hosted by the GUILD Gem Lab, the GUILD Gemology Education, and the renowned mining enterprise GEMFIELDS, was held at the Format Fashion Publishing Center of the IBC World Business Center in Shenzhen.

Present at the event were industry leaders from both domestic and international scenes, including

 Ruby Liu, President of GUILD Gem Lab,

 Edward Johnson, Corporate Responsibility Director of Gemfields,

 Andrew Lucas, President of GUILD Gemology Education,

 Damien Cody, President of the International Colored Gemstone Association,

 Rizwan Nayeem and Safraz Jabir, Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Chinafort Jeweler Association,

 Miranda Da Costa Jr., Founder of the Miranda Group,

 Sergio Martins, Founder of Stone World Brazil and Partner of the Miranda Group,

 Luo Ling, Secretary-General of the Shenzhen Copyright Association, a 5A-rated social organization in Shenzhen,

 Qiu Chunxia, Fourth-Grade Researcher at the Luohu District Commerce Bureau,

 Qi Peng, Chairman of Shenzhen Jewelry Industry Service Co., Ltd.,

 Lin Xifeng, President of the Guangdong Colored Gemstone Jewelry Chamber of Commerce,

 Du Ban, President of the Shenzhen Jewelry Designers Association,

 and Tu Xingcai, President of the Shenzhen Pearl Industry Association. 



Big names in the jewelry industry from both home and abroad gathered together to appreciate a visual feast featuring high-quality gemstones and innovative jewelry designs, and to witness the rise of innovative forces in the jewelry industry.

GUILD×GEMFIELDS Aurora Awards 2024 Sparkles with a Grand Opening!

The opening ceremony kicked off with a pas de deux titled "Token of Love," inspired by the GUILD's Token of Love testing report. Following this, representatives from the organizers, including Liu Lihong, President of GUILD Gem Lab, Andrew Lucas, President of GUILD Gemology Education, Edward Johnson, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Gemfields Mining Co., Ltd. (the platinum sponsor of the event), Damien Cody, President of the International Colored Gemstone Association (representing the expert judging panel), Rizwan Nayeem, Vice President of the Sri Lanka Chinafort Jeweler Association, and Qi Peng, Chairman of Shenzhen Jewelry Industry Service Co., Ltd., took the stage to deliver speeches respectively.

Highlighting the Charm of the Industry, Serving the Global Market

— Liu Lihong, President of GUILD Gem Lab, and Andrew Lucas, President of GUILD Gemology Education

From 2022 to 2024, the Aurora Awards has embarked on its third journey with renewed vigor. This year's competition has attracted over 1,300 entries from around the world, with 340 finalists, marking a 100% increase compared to the previous year. The number of genuine online votes has surpassed 8.4 million, representing a 400% surge year-on-year. These figures fill me with admiration and surprise.

The 1,300 entries represent nearly a thousand enterprises, and the continuous dissemination through the self-media matrix behind each enterprise has contributed to the success of this year's competition. This is a demonstration of the power of the industry and a testament to the unwavering determination of practitioners during the downturn in 2024. As the organizer, GUILD feels deeply honored that the Aurora Awards, as a showcase platform and a voice for the industry, brings global practitioners together to discuss the future of the industry through information exchange and idea collisions.

The industry needs to be seen, and brilliance deserves recognition. We hope that the Aurora Awards will continue to play its role as a mediator in the future, enabling the world to witness the changes in the Chinese market and showcasing the extraordinary charm and vitality of the industry.








Focusing on Development: The Potential of Categories Still Awaits Unleashing

— Edward Johnson, Corporate  Responsibility Director of Gemfields Mining Co., Ltd.


I am proud that Gemfields has sponsored the Aurora Awards International Jewelry Competition for two consecutive years, and I am thrilled to participate in such an event that encourages and inspires more people to appreciate and love colored gemstones. Gemfields is a mining company that produces 50% of the world's rubies and over 25% of the world's emeralds. We mine in remote Africa, far from Shenzhen, but the journey from Shenzhen to our mines in Africa is one of the most important industrial chains in the world—the journey from the mine to the market.

Every year, Gemfields conducts market research in major global markets. In China, our research shows that rubies remain one of the most popular gemstones, and there are still immense opportunities for ruby practitioners worldwide. As a symbol of love, rubies have tremendous appreciation potential. Gemfields looks forward to continuing our cooperation with GUILD Gem Lab and all industry colleagues here, working together to promote colored gemstones and thrive in our endeavors.






Building a Moat of Trust: Growth Stems from Market Confidence

— Damien Cody, President of the International Colored Gemstone Association


The charm of the Chinese market is evident to the eye. It is not only the world's largest jewelry producer but also the largest jewelry consumer market. What deserves more attention is its vast development potential. Currently, colored gemstones account for only 4% of the Chinese jewelry market share, which means that what practitioners lack is not market opportunities but the key to unlocking consumer demand. At this crucial juncture, I believe that establishing consumer confidence in colored gemstones is crucial. It is the foundation for making choices and a necessity for long-term development.

Furthermore, I believe that "education" is the core of transforming the market development trend. The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) has always encouraged global practitioners to continuously learn and update their understanding of jewelry, periodically receive professional industry training, and improve their skills. With the trend of transparency in various industry information, authoritative appraisal institutions like GUILD Gem Lab can present comprehensive product information to consumers, providing a strong endorsement of trust for industry development.

Warren Buffett famously said, "Trust is like the air we breathe—when it's present, nobody notices; when it's absent, everybody notices." I believe that by building consumer trust and confidence in the industry, we will pave a smooth path for development.









Integrating into the Global Supply Chain: Growing Through the Pain

— Rizwan Nayeem, Vice Chairman of the Chinafort Jewelers Association in Sri Lanka


ChinaFort in Beruwala , Sri Lanka, is not only one of the oldest and busiest gemstone trading centers in the world but also a place full of vitality and vigor. In June of this year, GUILD officially established its gemstone laboratory in Beruwala, and to this day, it has become a second home for GUILD. This is a landmark event in the global industry development of 2024, representing not only a bridge connecting the local market in Sri Lanka with China's vast market but also a historical opportunity for deep integration and dialogue within the global industry chain.

The year 2024 has been a challenging one for the global colored gemstone market, with the economic environment bringing about pains that have affected many practitioners. In key hubs of the industry chain such as Sri Lanka and Thailand, we can always foresee some changes through the phenomena, such as the emergence of new technologies and new gemstones, which are forcing the market to make strategic adjustments. For the global market, this is not a new phenomenon; it's just that different regional markets are at different stages of development and react differently. However, what remains constant is the building of consumer trust and overall market confidence. As we navigate through market cycles, mindset will dominate behavior. Let us jointly look forward to a new stage of industry development.

Innovation Drives Diversified Industrial Development

— Qi Peng, Chairman of Shenzhen Jewelry Industry Service Co., Ltd.


The jewelry industry, as the crystallization of cultural and artistic exchanges, bears the dual value of history and emotion. Through the platform of Aurora, we discover design works with unique perspectives and creativity. They embody the ingenuity and passion of designers from both domestic and international backgrounds, and their enthusiastic creations propel the industry forward continuously. Regardless of how the market environment changes, enterprises that focus on innovation always gain a first-mover advantage in development.

From "Emergence", ‘’Demonstration‘’ to "Development"

The third Aurora Awards Ceremony featured a special segment dedicated to the Global Colored Gemstone Industry Leaders Forum, boasting a luxurious lineup of guests covering multiple segments of the entire industry chain.

The forum was co-hosted by Liu Lihong, President of GUILD Gem Lab, and Andrew Lucas, Dean of GUILD Gemmology Education. It gathered international industry leaders and experts, including Damien Cody, President of the International Colored Gemstone Association; Rizwan Nayeem, Vice Chairman of the Chinafort Jewelers Association in Sri Lanka; Edward Johnson, Director of Corporate Responsibility at mining giant Gemfields; Wu Fenghua, Founder of TTF Fine Jewellery; and Pan Jinping, Senior Director of LAC Jewellery, to engage in in-depth discussions on industry development and trends. Among them, "How to Navigate Through Industry Cycles?" emerged as the hottest topic.









Excerpt of Forum Highlights


Part 1: What happened or what is happening in China's market?


Q: After a strong performance in 2022 to 2023, what happened to the market in 2024?

Damien Cody: The colored gemstone industry has a long history with an extremely long supply chain, from the mining and cutting of rough stones, to becoming gemstones in the hands of wholesalers, then being set into jewelry, and finally reaching the end market for consumption. Subtle changes in each link, after being transmitted, can bring different perceptions to practitioners. This is also one of the manifestations of the unique market rhythm and cycles of the colored gemstone industry.

Currently, the global economy is in a relatively sluggish period, coupled with some challenges facing the Chinese economy, the overall market has entered a relatively downturn stage. As a representative of luxury goods, colored gemstones are often the first industry to be impacted and may also be the last to recover. However, looking at the global market, such cycles are not uncommon and even occur frequently. The industry will not stagnate due to temporary difficulties, especially for China, where the colored gemstone market is full of possibilities. Therefore, the industry's expectation is that after a period of adjustment, the demand for colored gemstones in the Chinese market will become increasingly strong.








Part 2: What's going on in global markets？

Q: What's going on in Sri Lankan colored gemstone market in 2024?

Rizwan Nayeem: Looking at the Sri Lankan colored gemstone market as a whole, we can see that high-quality precious gemstones have always been sought after by the market, with blue sapphires of royal blue grade performing the best. Of course, throughout 2024, the market has been filled with talk of consumption decline, which is a very normal phenomenon from the perspective of business cycles.

Essentially, the colored gemstone and diamond businesses are vastly different, with colored gemstones being more influenced by various quality factors and exhibiting stronger individual differences. However, overall, the Sri Lankan gemstone market still presents many opportunities in 2024. To tap into these opportunities, there are two important points: First, have unwavering trust in the industry one is committed to, as credit and trust are the cornerstones of everything. Second, respect every link in the industry chain and conduct business on the premise of mutual respect. Respecting suppliers, respecting consumers, and having a correct understanding of industry development laws are prerequisites for establishing stable trading relationships.








Part3：What to do? Suggestion for the trade.

Q: What trends are presented in the "Emerging from the Middle Class Treasure Chest - Ruby Market Report" officially released by Gemfields?

Edward Johnson: Gemfields' survey and analysis shows that among Chinese consumers, rubies rank first in both recognition and purchase rates. In particular, the preference for rubies among the middle class is becoming an emerging trend. They increasingly associate rubies with beautiful things such as love, luck, blessings, and protection. In the past, people might choose diamonds as symbols of love, but now many prefer rubies.

In January of this year, a report on symbols of love released by GUILD Gem Lab also confirmed this point. In the future, rubies will become more popular and the market will further prosper, both in Europe and America and in China.



Q: Live streaming sales are still popular. Do you think this trend will continue? Where are the new trends and opportunities in the online market?

Pan Jinping: Firstly, we should focus on the sinking market, extending from first- and second-tier metropolises to fifth- and sixth-tier small towns, leveraging the advantage of online markets not being restricted by regions. Secondly, we should prioritize the integration of online and offline, especially the combination of public and private domains, shaping multiple scenarios to create a pathway from traffic attraction to transactions. Private domain transaction scenarios are particularly important for selling high-priced jewelry.

Lastly, we must fully consider the economic environment and market trends, and make a well-informed choice between "selling materials" and "outputting culture and emotions." Self-indulgent consumption in the domestic market has repeatedly hit new highs, and as jewelry and accessories are high-level self-indulgent consumption, they will surely continue to rise.












The eager pursuit of beautiful things is the driving force behind industry development. No matter how unpredictable the market environment may be,

the jewelry industry always steadily advances through continuous innovation. Next, we invite you to appreciate the award-winning works from the 2024 Aurora Awards GUILD×GEMFIELDS International Gems and Jewelry Competition: