Gem-A’s annual photography contest, focusing on photomicrographs, is open for submissions.

WHAT IS THE COMPETITION ABOUT?

The Photographer of the Year Competition is officially open! Each autumn, Gem-A receives submissions for this contest, not just from our Students, Alumni and Members, but from our colleagues
and peers around the world. These images showcase the stunning world of gem photography as seen through the eyes of professional and amateur gemmologists. This 2025 competition will once again focus on the landscapes and inner worlds of gemstones.

We are requesting that our entrants send in the best photomicrographs that they have taken in the past year. The microscope reveals so much hidden information about gem materials. We want to see the inclusion scenes, internal features, patterns and unusual finds that captivated you during the course of your work. As in previous years, our first-prize winner will receive a one-year membership to the Association and a voucher to Gem-A Instruments; their photo will also grace the cover of the Winter 2025 issue of Gems&Jewellery.

This year’s contest will also include a People’s Choice Award, based on the number of votes an image receives from the general public. Once the deadline for submissions has passed, a longlist will be curated and subject to a public vote on Facebook. The image that receives the most votes will receive a prize alongside the first-place winner and two runners-up, which will be chosen by our team of three judges. Submissions are welcome from all areas of the trade; previous winners and runners-up are also encouraged to enter. We look forward to seeing what our entrants have uncovered in the past year.

 

COMPETITION RULES

  • All photographs entered into the competition must have been taken within the last twelve months.
  • A maximum of three photographs may be entered per person.
  • We are only accepting photomicrographs for this year’s competition. Any photos that are not photomicrographs will be eliminated.
  • Photographs must be in .jpeg or .tiff format; no other formats will be accepted.
  • Photographs must be high resolution (300 dpi);  it must maintain 300-dpi resolution when the size is increased
    to G&J’s cover measurements of 210 × 297 mm (8.27×11.70 in.).
  • Photomicrographs must be accompanied by field of view for proper digital representation.
  • Entries must be accompanied by your name and post-nominals (if applicable).
  • All image editing or manipulation that has been performed on the photo(s) must be disclosed in the photograph description.
  • Please note that the judges reserve the right to request the original, unmanipulated image to compare the two outcomes.
  • Images must be captioned and include the following:
    – Host material and inclusion type
    – Locality of material (if available)
    – Illumination used to capture the scene.
  • Equipment used to take the photomicrograph (e.g., camera,
    microscope) that was performed to create the final image.
  • A description of no more than 200 words telling the story behind the photograph must be included.
  • By entering the Photographer of the Year Competition, you accept and acknowledge that your image may be used in Gems&Jewellery magazine, on the Gem-A Blog and on Gem-A’s social media channels. You will always be credited as the creator of the work.

 

Photographer Of The Year Competition - Photographer Of The Year Competition - Randy Lightfoot
Photo taken by Randy Lightfoot.

HOW TO ENTER & DEADLINE

Email all entries to editor@gem-a.com. Please send files larger than 10 MB via WeTransfer.com to editor@gem-a.com (these are free-to-use media transfer services). There is no cost to enter the competition. We will be accepting photos until 24 November 2025.

 

PROCEDURE

The G&J team will mask the identities of the photographers and will receive the input of at least one of the competition judges, along with other gemmologists, to select ten entries to make up the Longlist. These images will be posted on our Facebook Page so that the general public may vote for a People’s Choice winner. Voting will be open until 10 December 2025. The winner, runners-up, and People’s Choice selection will be announced on Gem-A’s social media channels in mid-December; all four will be featured in the Winter 2025 issue of G&J. For more information on the contest rules, or on how to enter Gem-A’s Photographer of the Year Competition, please contact editor@gem-a.com.

crimson geoscope
Photo taken by Melissa Allen.

 

PRIZES

As previously mentioned, the first-place winner will have their photograph on the cover of the Winter 2025 issue of Gems&Jewellery, along with a one-year Gem-A Membership and a £300 voucher to Gem-A Instruments. The two runners-up and the People’s Choice Award Winner, who will also be featured within the Winter 2025 issue, will each receive a £50 voucher redeemable at Gem-A Instruments. Good luck to all who enter!

 

  • Featured image: Trigons and Growth Marks, by Ziyin Sun.