Diamond Trading Company Botswana celebrated the launch of the 3rd Shining Light Awards collection under the theme, ‘Women of Africa – Your Light Shines’. The event was held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre on 21 March 2013 and in addition to unveiling the Botswana collection, it featured jewellery pieces from Namibia.

The event showcased eight pieces of spectacular diamond jewellery from the seven finalists following the 2012-2013 design competition. The collection boasts a total of over 14, 000 cut diamonds with a combined wholesale value of over US$ 1 million.

‘With their participation in the Shining Light Awards, contestants come out of the entire experience with their knowledge about diamonds, jewellery design and entrepreneurship in general having been enormously expanded. Diamond beneficiation is a business imperative which has become the defining message of our time, and in order to maintain our credibility on it, we should not only beneficiate diamonds, but be seen to do it through our deeds. The success of these Awards – as indeed that of the designers we honour this evening, is proof that DTC Botswana and its Sightholders’ contribution to this process is having a demonstrably positive effect on the ground and is indeed promoting the ideals that beneficiation envisions’, said the DTC Botswana Managing Director, Tabake Kobedi.

The Botswana Shining Light Diamond Jewellery Design Awards were launched in the country in 2008. The primary aim of the high profile awards event is to celebrate the beauty and purpose of diamonds through jewellery design. The Awards provide a platform for local designers to showcase their work internationally.

In every competition, an educational grant is awarded to an institution as a way of growing the arts in Botswana. This year, an educational grant of P30, 000 was awarded to the Francistown College of Technical and Vocational Education (FCTVE). The main mandate of this state of the art college it to provide an innovative combination of technical and vocational education and vocational teacher education. The funds will go towards further developing FCTVE’s Clothing, Design and Textile programme. This programme is offered to anyone wishing to pursue a career in the clothing, design or textile industry and to those who already have careers in the industry for continuing professional development.

The overall winner, who pocketed P50, 000 is Banyana Mpete who designed an 18ct white and yellow gold neckpiece set with 486 round brilliant and fancy diamonds with a total weight of 36.64 carats sponsored by Blue Star Diamonds Pvt ltd.

The rest of the winners for the 2012-2013 competition who each bagged P5, 000 are:

1. David Atho Moatisi designed a 10cts white gold neckpiece set with 1,304 round brilliant, tapers and baguette cut diamonds with a total weight of 47.58 carats sponsored by Eurostar Botswana (Pty) LTD

2. Olorato Temogo designed an 18ct white gold neck piece set with 1,516 black and white brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 30.06 carats sponsored by Swana Diamonds

3. Catherine Rainey Markides designed a 9ct white gold, rhodium plated, belly piece set with 864 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 30.27 carats sponsored by Teemane Manufacturing Co (Pty) Ltd

4. Thusonyana Caiphas Othomile designed an 18ct white and yellow gold neckpiece set with 463 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 18.80 carats sponsored by Steinmetz Diamonds

5. Lesedi Aboneng designed an 18ct yellow and white gold neckpiece set with 345 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 26.37 carats sponsored by Chow Tai Fook (Botswana) Diamond Cutting Works (Pty) Ltd

6. Catherine Rainey Markides designed an 18ct gold and silver neckpiece set with 3,633 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 44.20 carats sponsored by Shrenuj Botswana (Pty) Ltd

7. Tshegofatso Ragontse designed an African beaded skirt with gold outline set with 225 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 31.58 carats sponsored by Pluczenik