Time to Vote! No, the Other Vote!

By Mark Smelzer -- JCK Online, November 1, 2008

Greetings from Mumbai! I'm here for a week to visit our Indian manufacturing friends, and it's been an amazing time to be abroad.

It seems the whole world is involved in our upcoming presidential election. Again and again, the conversations include “after the election,” as if we were in the States. It fills you with a sense of pride and awe to know how important the decisions of your fellow citizens are for the entire globe.

Like everyone, my breath is held as we near Nov. 4, and I cannot wait to get home and exercise my right and obligation to cast a ballot.

We have our own exciting vote right here at JCK. It's time for the Jewelers Choice Awards, our second-annual finished-jewelry design contest.

Once again, these are the only industry awards voted on exclusively by America's jewelry retailers. Our mission for the awards is to provide an arena to promote and celebrate outstanding jewelry design. It's our hope that you'll be inspired by the pieces you see and maybe even add a few to your product mix.

Included with this month's issue of JCK is our first Jewelers Choice Awards Print Preview. This spectacular, tabloid-size publication features photographs of the 300+ entries in this year's awards. Please take a moment to review the many categories and price ranges.

Next, please visit www.jckonline.com/jewelerschoiceawards. Here, you'll be asked to submit your name, store affiliation, and e-mail address (to confirm you are an employee, or the owner, of a retail jewelry store).

When you're logged in, you'll be taken to a list of categories. Each expands into multiple price ranges. Once you click on a price range, you'll be shown a photo of each contest entry. Click on each photo to see up to four large images of the piece. After viewing all the pieces in a price range, select your favorite and move on to the next range or category.

Once you've voted in each category, you'll be shown all your picks for your final decision: your favorite piece, overall. The piece with the most votes in this phase will win our Grand Prize and be featured on the cover of the March 2009 issue of JCK.

Many thanks in advance for your participation. And, on a personal note, many thanks to everyone who casts their vote on Nov. 4. We all share an amazing country!