Launched in November 2024, the initiative called upon students and emerging start-ups to rethink the future of jewellery through the lens of sustainability, responding to the theme “Second Chance, First Choice.” Entrants were challenged to design pieces that transform waste materials into high-concept, meaningful jewellery.
After initial evaluations, finalists were selected in May from a pool of promising candidates. The top four—two each from the student and start-up categories—will present their final projects to a panel of judges on June 7, 2025, at the prestigious JCK Las Vegas Show.
With strong backing from Kering’s jewellery maisons—Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, and Qeelin—the award reinforces the luxury group’s commitment to responsible innovation and circular design.
Start-up Category
Ex Oblivione (France)
This French brand melds aerospace technology with luxury craftsmanship, repurposing components from decommissioned space missions—such as satellite shielding—into high-end jewellery art.
Ianyan (China)
Ianyan showcases fractured opals and unconventional stones often dismissed in traditional settings. Its circular design approach embraces imperfection, creating modular, repairable, and transformable pieces that celebrate raw beauty and craftsmanship.
Student Category
Lee Min Seo (South Korea)
Representing Hongik University, Lee Min Seo crafted Rhythm Reborn, a collection using discarded leather from the traditional Korean jang-gu drum. The project merges cultural heritage with sustainability, reimagining music through design.
Tony Favorito (USA)
A student at Rochester Institute of Technology, Favorito's Memory Fragment series reclaims marble and stone fragments from home renovations, turning them into modular rings that preserve personal histories through wearable art.
The award builds on Kering’s broader sustainability initiatives. Since joining the “Plug and Play – Fashion for Good” accelerator in 2017, Kering has supported innovation through successive editions of the Kering Generation Award in China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, aiming to scale impactful start-ups across the global fashion and jewellery sectors.
The final judging at JCK Las Vegas promises to be a showcase of cutting-edge design and environmental stewardship, spotlighting the next generation of visionary jewellery talent.
