To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Bright New Gems we are launching a special competition for 2025.
Opens 1 April 2025
Applications for Bright New Gems 2025 open on June 1st.
Applications for Bright New Gems 2025 open on June 1st.
Now in its 20th year, the Bright New Gems initiative was founded in 2005. It has grown to become the foremost, UK industry supported, mentoring programme and showcase for new, emerging talent.
OUR SHOWCASE
The Bright New Gems stand at the Retail Jewellery Festival is always a ‘must visit’ exhibit for visitors and exhibitors alike.
Often this is the first opportunity our winners have to exhibit in a commercial environment - a valuable, confidence building experience.
Image by Rebecca Maddock &Worn Studio
OUR TEAM & JUDGES
The team leads this ‘not for profit’ mentoring programme – liaising with universities, colleges, and judges, as well as industry supporters including The Benevolent Society, Retail Jeweller and The NAJ and sponsors including The Rockhound, the Goldsmiths’ Centre and Jewel Ads.
OUR WINNERS
To date the BNGs programme has enabled ninety-two BNG designers to showcase their work to the industry, to retailers and opinion formers. Designers such as Pippa Small, Fernando Jorge, Ruth Tomlinson, Tomasz Donocik, and, more recently, Zeemou Zeng, all started their journey as a Bright New Gem and have gone on to carve out very successful award-winning careers.
Image by Heather Blake Boekbinder @boekbinderphotography
“Think of emerging jewellery talent and it is almost impossible not to immediately Think of Bright New Gems. For nearly two decades, this pioneering platform has championed a new way to identify, mentor and promote the next generation of young stars, poised to dazzle the international jewellery market with their innovative creativity and 21st-century mindsets.”
Hilary Alexander – the late fashion commentator, and one of the leading forces behind Graduate Fashion Week, was a BNG judge for 16 years.