The theme invites designers to move beyond convention and create wearable art for a radically evolving world—where jewellery design, legacy and technology co-exist as parallel realities
Mumbai: The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has officially announced ‘Quantum Couture – Re-Engineering Beauty and Cultural Codes’ as the theme for the upcoming Artisan Jewellery Design Awards 2026. The theme invites designers to move beyond convention and create wearable art for a radically evolving world—where jewellery design, legacy and technology co-exist as parallel realities.
‘Quantum Couture’ shifts the focus from simply preserving form to translating meaning through a lens of ‘augmented imagination’. Speaking on this year’s theme, Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “India’s artisanal legacy is not a static memory; it is a living force that is actively shaping the global future of design. With ‘Quantum Couture,’ we are challenging designers to treat jewellery legacy as an evolving system. This is not just a trend, it is a new operating system for jewellery. We are inviting the world to see India not just as a manufacturing hub, but as a global muse that blends Indian craft with modern techniques.”
Ashish Borda, Convener, Promotions & Marketing, GJEPC, added, “Marketing in the modern era requires a narrative that resonates across generations. ‘Quantum Couture’ is our answer to a shifting consumer landscape where Gen Z and Boomers alike seek jewellery that is fluid, inclusive and innovative. By pushing our designers to explore ‘augmented imagination’, we are ensuring that the Indian jewellery industry remains at the forefront of the global cultural conversation, making traditional craft irresistible to the digital-native consumer.”
The 2026 theme is explored through three distinct sub-themes, each acting as a lens to define a new couture vocabulary:
1. Quantum Couture – Embroidery: Heritage Rewired Through Structure and Light: This theme reinterprets traditional embroidery—lace, brocade, filigree and beadwork—into sculptural jewellery forms, where designers can convert couture textiles into jewellery structures. The textile-inspired elements can include brocade, crochet and lace cut-outs, re-imagined in precious materials.
2. Quantum Couture – Micro-Painting: The Intimacy of Detail in the Age of Acceleration: In this direction, jewellery becomes a micro-canvas of story-telling, rich with symbolism, where technology enhances artisanal expression rather than replacing it. This design direction draws from time-honoured techniques such as the jadau, meenakari kundan enamelling, micro-mosaics and miniature paintings, engravings, carvings and openwork designs, and rarified traditions like Thewa art.
3. Quantum Couture – Poetic Layers: Nature, Memory and Form in Dimensional Dialogue: This design direction draws from nature’s poetry, expressed through bejewelled fauna and flora rendered in layered, sculptural forms. Designs can play with depth, relief and contrast to create expressive, gender-fluid pieces that merge poetic craft with contemporary construction through techniques such as marquetry, engraving, carving and fine filigree.
Now in its 9th edition, the Artisan Awards challenge designers with disruptive themes that break stereotypes and elevate jewellery to the realm of wearable art. Each edition reinforces the belief that fine jewellery can serve as a powerful canvas for avant-garde creativity and contemporary expression.
Entries undergo a rigorous, multi-stage jury evaluation process, beginning with a technical assessment and progressing through multiple rounds of expert judging. Beyond cash prizes, winners also receive internships with leading industry brands, while the winning and finalist pieces are showcased at prominent international trade shows under the India Design Gallery, curated by GJEPC—offering designers recognition and global visibility.
The deadline to submit interpretations of ‘Quantum Couture’ – sketches, along with the participation forms – is February 10, 2026.
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