Whitecliffe Jewellery Lecturer SuJin Lim has received international recognition at the 2025 World Jewellery Design Awards (WADA Awards), winning 1st place in the Daily Wear category and placing in three others — 4th in Wedding Accessories, 4th in Wedding Ring, and 5th in Formal Men’s Ring.
Held in Dubai, the WADA Awards celebrate outstanding jewellery design from around the world. This year’s event brought together 400 designers from 40 countries, judged by industry leaders including Mahiar Borhanjoo (De Beers Group) and Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri (World Jewellery Confederation).
SuJin was the only finalist from Oceania, with four of her five submissions reaching the final round.
The 2025 theme, “Life Under the Water,” required the use of sapphire as the main stone. SuJin interpreted this element through the Korean concept of “Taemong”, which refers to a special dream believed to foretell the birth of a child and symbolise their destiny or talent. Her winning design captures the energy of prosperity and abundance through the movement of waves and seashells.
“Jewellery holds memories and wishes,” SuJin shared. “Designing pieces that accompany important moments in life is truly meaningful to me.”
Before teaching, SuJjin worked in the industry as a commercial CAD designer, creating bespoke pieces for clients. Now, through her academic research, she values the freedom to experiment and explore her own artistic vision. Her current research explores hybrid art forms that merge jewellery with technologies like VR, MR, and CAD to narrate emotions and stories more effectively.
To aspiring jewellers, she offers this advice: “Don’t be afraid of failure. Keep developing yourself, and growth will follow.”
We’re proud to see SuJin’s creativity celebrated on the global stage. Her success highlights the talent within our Whitecliffe community and the ongoing commitment of our lecturers to guide, challenge, and inspire future creatives.
