Winning jewellery designs were brought to life at the red-carpet banquet, through the craftmanship of jewellery manufacturers from the producer countries, among them a 4-piece winning design from Botswana which was manufactured by KGK, a De Beers a Sightholder. The jewellery was revealed to stakeholders from across the diamond value chain, including President of the Republic of Botswana Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, First Lady Ms Neo Jane Masisi and De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver.De Beers Group recently announced a record number of winners of the 2018/2019 instalment of the De Beers Group Designers Initiative at the 2019 Shining Light Awards Banquet in Gaborone.

Pat Dambe, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, De Beers Global Sightholder Sales, said: “We are committed to promoting youth skills development and participation within the diamond value chain, it is through initiatives of this calibre that their aspirations are realised. Directed by our reason of existence, which is to make life brilliant. At De Beers Group we use diamonds to make life brilliant in much deeper and more meaningful way for the people and places involved in this journey.”

The Shining Light Awards is a De Beers Group beneficiation programme to create opportunities for designers in its diamond producer partner countries by providing high-level exposure to the retail segment of the international diamond industry. The Shining Light Awards have existed for over 22 years in South Africa, 11 years in Botswana and Namibia, and, for the time this year, in Canada.

In addition to attending the gala awards night, the finalists visited Orapa and Damtshaa Mines, De Beers Global Sightholder Sales facilities, the Global Diamond Academy and factory visit at Msuresh.

At the gala awards event, it was announced that Canada will host the 2020/2021 Shining Light Awards. The host country for the awards rotates amongst De Beers Group’s diamond producer countries.