AJA Design Competition

2025-26 Terms and Conditions

Condition of Entry

Welcome to the 2025 Armenian Jewellery Association Design Competition and thank you for your interest!

The entry form along with terms and conditions below form part of the Conditions of entry. Participation of this competition is deemed acceptance of these conditions of Entry.

Table of contents

  1. Sketch & Design Definitions
  2. 2025 Key Dates
  3. Entry Process
  4. Winners and commitment
  5. Delivery Address
  6. Gem Geneve Jewelry exhibition
  7. Terms and Conditions of Entry
  1. Entrant Guidelines
  2. Warranties and originality of design
  3. Materials Used for Pieces
  4. Anonymity
  5. Post AJA Competition Publicity
  6. Judging
  7. Recognition
  8. Use of your name
  9. Shipping and security
  10. Cancellation of Competition

1. Sketch & Design Definitions

The entrant will submit either a sketch ready for design production or a finished piece (photos of finished piece).

  • Sketch — a hand drawn or rendered jewellery piece, using any traditional drawing media or computer aided design. This sketch must be ready for jewellery production as winner must submit the finished piece.
  • Finished piece — an original jewellery piece using any material of choice, including but not limited to precious metals (gold, silver or platinum), diamond/s, gemstones, or innovative non-traditional materials (e.g., wood, paper, mixed media).

2. Key Dates

  • Application Entry Forms Open: September 15, 2025
  • Application Entry Forms Close: November 15, 2025
  • Judging Period: November 20 – December 10, 2025
  • Announcement of Winners: January 15, 2026
  • Submission of Winning Designs: April 10, 2026
  • Showcase of Winning Designs: May 2025

3. Entry Process

Applicants are required to complete an online application form. This form is available from September 15, 2025, to November 15, 2025. Once an entry form has been submitted you will receive an email confirmation with a reference number.

4. Participation and Commitment

  • There will be 5 winners announced on January 15, 2025. Each winner will need to produce their winning jewellery design if not already completed. All winners must be present at the Gem Genève exhibition.
  • Since Gem Genève is an international exhibition, all winners are required to communicate in English during the event. If a winner is not comfortable with English, they must arrange to be accompanied by a translator at their own expense.
  • All winning designs must include a written note explaining the Armenian inspiration or creative concept behind the piece. This statement will be used in the exhibition booth and related publicity.

5. Delivery address

Delivery address for winning pieces will be confirmed with the 5 winners during the 2nd week of January. The jewellery pieces must be completed and ready to be shipped by 10th of April 2025.

6. Gem Genève exhibition

AJA will showcase the 5 winning pieces (with details on the designer, the jewellery, and the inspiration) in a booth sponsored by GemGenève and AJA, from May 7–10, 2026.

7. Terms and Conditions of Entry

a. Entrant Guidelines

  1. The objective of the AJA Competition is to provide a unique opportunity for Armenian jewellers to present their talent on a global stage and to promote Armenian jewellery industry individuals in the fields of design and craftsmanship of an original jewellery piece.
  2. Participants must be a designer, an individual. Entries may not be submitted by companies, but designers affiliated with a company may apply in their personal capacity.
  3. The AJA competition is open to individuals who are Armenian or of Armenian background either living in Armenia or abroad.
  4. Each entrant may submit up to 2 pieces (sketches or finished designs). Judges may select one or both for final showcase. Each design requires a separate entry form.
  5. Only first-time applicants are eligible. Repeat participants from previous AJA Design Competitions will not be accepted.
  6. Entries not completed in accordance with this Entry Guide will not be accepted. Incomplete or incomprehensible entries will be disregarded. Errors and omissions may be accepted at the discretion of the AJA or the Judging Panel.
  7. Entries submitted after the entry closing date will be rejected.

b. Warranties and originality of designs

  1. By submitting the Entry form, the entrant warrants to the AJA that the design is the Entrants own original piece and is not copied or taken from another artist/designer and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.
  2. All pieces must have been created by the Entrant
  3. The AJA accepts all Pieces in good faith, on the basis that they are original Pieces and that the Pieces comply with these Conditions of Entry. The AJA accepts no responsibility for any Piece that is subsequently found not to be original (whole or in part) or in breach of a Condition of Entry.
  4. The Entrant agrees to indemnify the AJA against all damages, losses, costs and expenses incurred by the AJA arising out of any infringement of any person’s intellectual property or other rights in relation to your entry/Piece.

c. Materials Used for Pieces

Designs may use precious metals, diamonds, gemstones, or alternative and innovative materials. The use of non-traditional materials is permitted if the design and craftsmanship demonstrate artistic and technical merit.

d. Anonymity

  1. All pieces summitted will be judged by alphanumeric identification only.
  2. The identity of the Entrant on the Entry Form will be used to initially identify the creator of each Piece and for other internal administration purposes, but the Entry Form will not be viewed by the Judging Panel until after Judging Day. Entrants are to remove from boxes or jewellery containers all identifying marks, creators name.

e. Post AJA Competition Publicity

  1. All Entrants grant the AJA a royalty free licence to use the intellectual property rights subsisting in correlating to their Piece in connection with the promotion by the AJA of the AJA Design Competition and winning entries.
  2. Entrants agree to allow all Pieces submitted for the AJA Awards to be photographed for publicity.

f. Judging

  1. The design competition will be awarded to the creators of the piece that are the most impressive and have the most impact. Designs can be traditional, modern or futuristic and may offer new way of wearing the piece of jewellers, rather than being limited to convention.
  2. There will be 5 winners.
  3. Once verified as meeting the conditions of entry pieces will be assigned an reference number and will be assessed by an industry professional to confirm they comply with the judging criteria. An independent panel of invited judges will then judge each piece independently and under an accumulative points system.
  4. Entries will be judged under three criteria.
  5. The winners will be determined purely by their accumulative points total, the highest being the winners. The determination of the Judging Panel do not involve chance.
  6. Judges’ decision in relation to all aspects of this promotion is final and binding on all who enter, and no correspondence will be entered into with Entrants or third parties.
  7. The promotion will be judged by a panel appointed by AJA. Judging will take place via online in its complete discretion and will begin on November 20, 2025.
  8. The AJA reserves the right to reduce the number of winners, if the judging panel considers in its absolute discretion that the presented pieces do not reach the standard of excellence sought/expected.
  • Creativity and Innovative Design (Market appeal, design relevance & manufacturing practicality) 50 points
  • Technical Ability (Quality of workmanship & materials) 30 points
  • Presentation (Inspiration & branding) 20 points

g. Recognition

  1. All 5 winners will have their jewellery pieces showcased (with designers details) within the AJA both at Gem Genève exhibition May 2026.
  2. All 2 winning pieces will be professionally photographed and will appear in AJA publications and social media platforms.

h. Use of your Name

  1. Entrants consent to the AJA, its media partners and third-party media using their name, biographical details and likeness for publicity purposes in connection with the competition and promotion of the AJA without any payment of compensation.
  2. Entry information will be collected by the AJA and to enable it to contact the winners. It may be entered into a AJA database and Entrants consent to the AJA using the Entrant’s personal details from that database for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes. The AJA may use that information for promotional, research and profiling purposes, including sending electronic messages or telephoning the Entrant. Entrants consent to receiving such communications.

i. Shipping and security

  1. All winning entrants are responsible for arranging delivery of their winning pieces by the 10th of April 2026. To the confirmed delivery address.
  2. Independent insurance on the jewellery piece should be taken by the entrant.
  3. AJA accepts no responsibility for late, lost or misdirected mail of winning piece (or part thereof). All costs associated with sending the winning piece by registered courier are the responsibility of the entrant.
  4. AJA will ensure that the jewellery piece is kept safe and in a secured location until returned. All reasonable care and storage of jewellery pieces will be determined by the AJA.
  5. The winners may collect their pieces at the end of the Gem Genève exhibition. If return is to be arranged this will be discussed post exhibition.
  6. The jewellery piece will remain the property of the entrant/owner and is provided purely for the purposes of judging and will be returned to the entrant as per outlined in these terms and conditions. The ownership and responsibility of the piece will remain with the entrant at all times.

j. Cancellation of Awards

The AJA may notify by notice in writing and where possible to Entrants, cancel the Awards at any time prior to the showcase of the winning pieces in May 2025; due to factors beyond its control, and that the competition is no longer held.