Following the Kering Generation Award X Jewelry ceremony in Paris on July 9, 2026, from left: CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri; Lauriane Pinsualt, CEO of GeoGems, winner in the Startup Category; Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer; Yang Yuchan, winner in the Student Category; and Professor Alba Cappellieri, Head of Jewellery at Politecnico di Milano and the scientific director of the awards.
The second edition of the Kering Generation Award X Jewelry took place on July 9, 2026, at the luxury group Kering’s headquarters in Paris during Paris Haute Couture Week. The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) is a partner of Kering in the awards, which aim to support visionary talent whose work demonstrates excellence in sustainable design and practices in jewellery-making. The contest was scientifically coordinated by Poli.Design, a consortium of Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s leading technical university.
Launched in China in 2018, the Kering Generation Award was created to support local startups developing sustainable and innovative materials and processes with a positive environmental and social impact. Since then, the initiative has expanded to several regions, including Saudi Arabia and Japan. In 2024, Kering also broadened the scope of the award to include the jewellery category.
This year, the award brought together 44 startups and students from 10 world-renowned universities and academies.
Student Category award winner Yang Yuchan (centre), flanked by Professor Alba Cappellieri (left), Head of Jewellery at Politecnico di Milano, and CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri.
CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri presenting the Startup Category award to Lauriane Pinsualt, CEO of GeoGems.
The second edition of the Kering Generation Award X Jewelry took place on July 9th, 2026, at the luxury group Kering’s headquarters in Paris during Paris Haute Couture Week. The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) is a partner of Kering in the awards, which aim to support visionary talent whose work demonstrates excellence in sustainable design and practices in jewellery-making. The contest was scientifically coordinated by Poli.Design, a consortium of Politecnico di Milano, Italy’s leading technical university.
Launched in China in 2018, the Kering Generation Award was created to support local startups developing sustainable and innovative materials and processes with a positive environmental and social impact.
Since then, the initiative has expanded to several regions, including Saudi Arabia and Japan. In 2024, Kering also broadened the scope of the award to include the jewelry category.
This year, the award brought together 44 startups and students from 10 world-renowned universities and academies.
Taking first place in the Student Category was Yang Yuchan of China. Her winning design was called “Perching Willow,” which is is a contemporary jewelry piece that transforms discarded compact discs (CDs) into fine jewelry through traditional craftsmanship. The project incorporates traditional Chinese lacquer techniques and classical mother-of-pearl inlay craftsmanship, while recreating the shimmering iridescence of mother-of- pearl through recycled materials.
First place in the Startup Category was won by GeoGems, France, whose OriGems project aims to provide scientifically verifiable gemstone origin identification, addressing traceability challenges in the jewellery supply chain.
The Student Category winner received a six-months internship with Kering’s Jewelry Maison Pomellato, whereas the Startup Category winner received a mentorship with Politecnico di Milano experts.
“The success of our Kering Generation Award X Jewelry demonstrates just how ready the next generation is to reinvent sustainable jewelry,” noted commented Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer. “By bringing together startups and students, we are opening a new chapter to empower those who are shaping the future of the industry. For Kering, fostering innovations at the crossroads of craftsmanship, technology, and environmental responsibility is no longer an option—it’s a necessity.”
“I would like to congratulate the four finalists for the quality of their projects,” said CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri. “In this second edition, the selection process was particularly challenging, as many submissions demonstrated a strong understanding of the transformations shaping our industry. The Kering Generation Award X Jewelry is not only an important platform for emerging talent, but also a valuable window into the expectations, values, and aspirations of the next generation of consumers, helping to shape the future of the jewelry industry.”
“We are truly delighted by the outstanding projects presented by the students in this second edition,” noted Professor Alba Cappellieri, Head of Jewellery at Politecnico di Milano and the scientific director of the awards. “The quality of the submissions continues to improve year after year, demonstrating that collaboration between academia and industry is a key strategic driver for the advancement of our sector. At Politecnico di Milano, we firmly believe that scientific rigor, combined with meaningful dialogue across diverse disciplines and perspectives, is essential to nurturing talent and fostering innovation. Our warmest congratulations to the four finalists on this remarkable achievement.”
