American Gemological Laboratories are providing the winners of the JCK Jewelers Choice Awards—JCK magazine’s first design competition recognizing jewelry designers’ and manufacturers’ best work—with certification showing the logo of the contest and thewinner’s designation.

The certification of the diamond or gemstone showing the logo and “design contest winner” would be available for the production pieces of the winning design sothat the items are sold through the distribution channel, to the retailers and then over the counter to the retail customer.

The JCK Jeweler’s Choice Awards competition is available to all designers and manufacturers in 17 different product categories, including Diamond Jewelry, Best Journey Diamond Jewelry Design, Colored Stone Jewelry, Pearl Jewelry, Best Bridal Design and much more. Entries can be made online with the deadline for submissions on Sept., 25. All products entered in the contest will be posted online this fall and retailers will be invited to vote for their favorite pieces in each category online through the Web site from Nov. 1 through Dec. 5.

As sponsoring partners of the competition, Gem Certification & Assurance Lab and/or AGL will inspect each finalist’s piece for physical verification. All winning and finalist pieces in each product category will receive complimentary certification by either GCAL or AGL, as applicable.

All JCK Jewelers Choice award winners will be announced on the site in early January and will be photographed and showcased in the March 2008 issue of JCK, while the top vote-getting piece in the entire competition, judged the Grand Winner, will be highlighted on the front cover.

Winners will receive additional exposure at the 2008 JCK Las Vegas Show, as well as marketing collateral to promote their participation in the contest.

Once the winners are announced, the production pieces with the winning design are eligible for the appropriate certificate from GCAL for diamonds, or AGL for colored gemstones, showing the JCK Jeweler’s Choice Awards logo with the additional designation of “Winner” along with co-branding opportunities for the manufacturer or design brand.

“We are pleased to partner with JCK in the first-ever JCK Jewelers Choice Awards to reward the industry’s ‘best of the best’ in product design,” said Don Palmieri, president of GCAL. “There is a huge opportunity for the winners to benefit at the retail counters of America with our special ‘Winner’ logo-branded certificates. The associated recognition will give the winning designs an additional edge.”

Cap Beesley, AGL president, added: “Sponsoring the prestigious JCK Jewelers Choice Awards and offering our authentication and certification services on these attractive designs was a perfect fit for us. Not only will the winners have an additional preference at the retail counters with the winner-branded certificates, but the consumer and the retailer will benefit from our third-party assurances of gemstone identification and quality. This increase in consumer confidence should spill over into other products at the retailer’s location and increase repeat business.”

Mark Smelzer, JCK publisher said: “We’re thrilled that GCAL and AGL have come aboard as the Presenting Sponsors for our first annual JCK Jewelers Choice Awards. Their brand names add instant prestige to the awards and on a practical note, their branded certificates will give added visibility to the retailers carrying the winning lines. We’re also excited to name our grand prize the ‘GCAL/AGL Award.’ Our goal in this contest is to celebrate the type of designs that will help independent retailers stand out in a crowded marketplace. We’re delighted that GCAL and AGL will help further this goal.”

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