The fifth annual JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards is currently accepting submissions until the contest deadline, Sept. 19.

Last year’s design competition had more than 16,000 votes in 44 product categories from retail jewelers across the country.

Winners and finalists will receive exposure in JCK’s “Best of the Best” Jewelers’ Choice Awards supplement in April 2012. This “Best of the Best” will also be sent to 5,000 retail storefronts in May with the 2012 JCK Las Vegas Show pre-planning Package. Other benefits to contest winners and finalists include a JCK Jewelers’ Choice Award logo and collateral materials to promote their winning or finalist piece. Winners and finalists will also be allowed to include the JCK Jewelers’ Choice Award logo in their JCK Marketplace showroom.

New to this year’s competition is a special Jewelers’ Choice Awards page. This new section will give contestants year-round exposure. A JCK’s Jewelers’ Choice Awards print voting guide will also be mailed to the retailers in the November 2011 issue of JCK, and contestants will receive a “Vote for Us” marketing package, which includes a template email blast and images for your website to get retailers involved and to vote for your designs.

Winners will have their pieces photographed and showcased in the March 2012 issue of JCK; the grand prize winner will be featured on that month’s cover. The grand prize winner for the 2011 contest was an 18k yellow gold bracelet from BELLARRI’s Marquesa Collection, set with 947.71 cts. t.w. of colored stones and 2.85 cts. t.w. diamond accents.

Additional exposure for the winners will come at next year’s JCK Las Vegas show, including coverage in the JCK News Daily newspapers. Winning pieces will also be featured in a slideshow on JCKonline.com throughout the year.

Contestants interested in entering pieces for the design competition can begin the submission process here.

Category finalists will be notified and announced in January 2012.

JCK