DTC Celebrates 2009 Southern Africa Shining Light Diamond Design Awards
March 02, 09![](/image_bank/NewsRoom_FullArticle/LogoBlue.png)
![]() Overall winning design by Bhekithemba Ngema |
The Southern Africa collection consists of eight jewelry pieces by local South African designers, five designs created and designed by Namibian designers and five designs created by Botswana designers. Together, the 18 piece collection comprises the first ever DTC Southern Africa Shining Light Collection.
The objective of the DTC Shining Light Awards has been to provide support for the future of the South African jewelry industry by helping to develop technical and design skills of South African designers, as well as an ethos for South African jewelry design. For the first time, the competition was opened to South Africa’s neighboring diamond producing countries, Namibia and Botswana.
Intrinsic to the competition are the design workshops hosted by the DTC on a biennial basis in all three major centers of South Africa, and in Windhoek and Gaborone. It is at the design forums that students of jewelry design, established jewelers and experts in the field of design from around the world, come together to network and increase their skills base. The DTC sponsored workshops cover business and design related topics.
The DTC provides five jewelry design schools with education grants in recognition for their commitment and dedication in the field of jewelry design as part of the program.
Overall Winner, designer Bhekithemba Ngema, created a ring using 18 karat yellow gold and 725 diamonds with a total carat weight of 16 carats, provided by sponsor and DTC Sightholder, Schachter & Namdar.