Continuing to promote the natural beauty and qualities of diamonds, Diamond Training Company Botswana (DTCB) this week launched the Diamond Design Awards competition dubbed ‘Shining Light Awards Diamond Design Collection’, which is a new opportunity held for the very first time in Botswana.
According to the document from DTC Botswana, the vision of this competition is to show the world the wealth of design talent that exists in Botswana by creating a design platform, through which the creative artistry in this country can be showcased using nature’s most remarkable and finest creation: Diamond. The DTC Botswana Shining Light Awards unites this heritage to create an internationally appealing and unique collection of diamond jewellery.
The Marketing Manager Southern Africa, DTC South Africa, Thoko Modisakeng, explained that, first launched in South Africa in 1996, the objective of these diamond studded awards has been to provide support for the future of the South African jewellery industry and, now in 2008, to provide support for the Botswana and Namibia Jewellery industry by helping to develop and unearth both technical and design skills of designers as well as an ethos for jewellery.
Speaking at an Entry Form Presentation held at Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) this week, Modisakeng highlighted that ever since its inception, this competition has grown in size and has been recognized over the years. She said the theme of this Shining Light Awards 2008 competition, which is ‘Fingerprints of Your Journey’, calls for entrants to choose an important moment in their lives, something life changing that they will be able to use as their inspiration in the development of their piece.
“The winner gets an opportunity to be part of the process when and where the piece of jewellery is being made, which is amazing, and also offers them massive job opportunities,” she said.
Modisakeng said the intrinsic thing to this diamond jewellery competition is the Design Workshops which will be held on a biennial basis in all three of the countries. She said it will be at these workshops that designers from all facets of the industry entering the competition are able to network freely and benefit from the input provided by technical experts and guest speakers.
“A highlight of these forums in 2006 was Visiting Professor at the Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design and former Creative Director at De Beers Diamond Jewelers, Reema Pachachi whose feedback amongst the attendees proved invaluable,” she stated.
Addressing the participants, Pachachi, who is the leading jewellery designer in the world, said those who are interested in this competition should make sure that they make something where there was nothing. “You have to capture your vision and put it in a physical form, and your work has to be original. Also remember that diamonds gather light like no other material on earth, therefore consider how you can use this unique quality to enhance your design,” she said.
Explaining the reason behind this theme of this competition, Pachachi stated that the nature of people’s external life is reflected through the past, the present and the future of their dreams, hope and aspirations. She said, “You are the students, and life is a teacher. Within this banquet, you must find that which leaves behind something of yourself in today’s lessons that are “Fingerprints of Your Journey”.
There is no doubt that Africa has forever been the inspiration of artists ands poets alike, but is the continent’s shining light, the Diamond, that continues to illuminate, captivate and arouse, said Kago Mmopi, DTCB Communication and Public Affairs Manager. “It is through endeavors such as the DTC sponsored Shining Light Awards, that we are all able to demonstrate to the rest of the world that working together towards a shared set of values enables us to go forward,” he stated.
For more information on the competition, go to www.shininglightawards.co.za to download an entry form.
