An item of diamond jewelry that was a finalist in the HRD Awards 2007 design competition is being featured as one of a five-stamp collection, entitled “Antverpia 2010” issued by the Belgian Postal Service to promote the European Philatelic Championship taking place in Antwerp in 2010.

Each of the stamps shows an aspect of life in the Flemish city, which handles 80 percent of the rough diamonds traded worldwide and 50 percent of the polished diamonds.

The jewelry item featured on the stamp was designed by Reena Ahluwalia, a finalist in the HRD Awards 2007 competition. Organized by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, the competition last year included diamond jewelry items designed about the theme “A Night at the Opera.” Ahluwalia’s piece paid homage to the legendary diva, Maria Callas. The diamonds set in the finished jewel were contributed by the Antwerp-based company, Diarough.

On April 4, at the Baselworld show in Switzerland, the AWDC issued an invitation for jewelry designs for the HRD Awards 2009. The theme for the new competition is “Once upon a time…my favorite fairy tale.” Entrants are requested to submit initial designs by Oct. 31. The winning design will be awarded a prize of € 5,000 ($7,950).

For more information on the HRD Awards 2009, contact Jennie Baeten (jb@awdc.be) or Gaëlle Schmid (gs@awdc.be).

JCK