By David Brough
HONG KONG – Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (June 19-22, 2025) saw slightly higher attendance year-on-year, including more visitors from China, preliminary data showed.
Exhibition Director Celine Lau, in a briefing for journalists, said the increase in Chinese visitors was a positive signal for the Chinese jewellery sector, which has been impacted by soft economic growth and surging gold prices. Ms Lau also spoke of the rise of online retailers in the Chinese market.
Booths of Chinese and Japanese suppliers of freshwater and cultured pearls and pearl jewellery, were packed with buyers, underscoring the growth in popularity of pearl jewellery among the younger clientele.
A panel discussion on June 20 looking into why pearls are popular among Millennials and Gen Z, centred on the influence of celebrities wearing pearl jewellery, such as Harry Styles; progress by the cultured seawater pearl farming community towards more sustainable practices; and a perception of the “quiet luxury” of pearls.
Live-streaming direct from booths, typically in lower-priced market segments including pearls and laboratory-grown diamonds, seemed to be more prevalent at this edition of the show, creating an additional channel for sales.
BUOYANT GOLD
Soaring gold prices, underpinned by “safe haven” investor buying due to the conflicts in the Middle East, are a growing concern for fine jewellery suppliers who fear customers will struggle to afford gold jewellery.
This concern is intensifying, because gold prices are widely expected by industry analysts to rise further into 2026.
Some fine jewellery manufacturers said they were shifting more production into platinum instead of gold, as platinum is a high quality jewellery metal that is much cheaper than gold.
