ANTWERP.- In the fully packed Teatro Palladio at Vicenzaoro, the reinvented design competition came to its conclusion with the announcement of the 3 category winners, the two runners-up and the overall competi- tion winner. That final honor falls upon the young and new talent Wang Xuerui from China. CEO Ellen Joncheere also launched a new initiative to support young designers worldwide: the young Designers Community.

9 stunning pieces of beauty selected out of more than 1.600 designs

The jury, under the professional guidance of CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri, selected 3 winners that made a design within the selected theme: peace. Storytelling, technical skills and the ability to translate this into the design were the decisive factors that led to the choices of the jury. More than 1500 participants entered about 1600 designs, which is a big jump from the 800 contestants we had at the last edition.

The global winner of the competition is the Chinese Wang Xuerui. Wang Xuerui’s piece called “Mutualistic” is a stunning work that symbolizes peace at the core of its design. Her story is what inspires other talented people around the world and why we organise this competition.

Ellen Joncheere – CEO HRD Antwerp:” I’m very excited that this competition creates the opportunity for so many talented designers to make their dream come true and make an idea that they have but can’t afford as a designer, come to life. In general, we were surprised by the high level of the designs that we received and it’s proven that with the right platform you eliminate all obstacles and make room for new potential designers.”

Final Winners:

Global winner 18th edition HRD Design Awards: Wang Xuerui - China

Category winner accessories: Wang Xuerui - China 1st runner-up: Jun Yuying Zhang - China 2nd runner-up: Yi-Wen Chen - Taiwan

Category winner gemstones: Amelia Rachim - Italy 1st runner-up: Maho Nozawa - Japan 2nd runner-up: Chao Yu - China

Category winner diamonds: Indika Wjayarathna - Sri Lanka 1st runner-up: Benoit Schrijnemakers - Belgium 2nd runner-up: Lily Leung - China

HRD Antwerp launches new Young Designers Community

HRD Antwerp launches a brand new designer community that supports and nurtures creators by providing them with the right network and resources they need to succeed. A collaborative environment, bringing fairs, industry stakeholders, field experts, and designers together, to drive progress. To provide the needed educational tools to help young designers grow their business.