HKTDC twin jewellery shows 'sparkle in symphony' at HKCEC and AWE

THOUSANDS of exhibitors, manufacturers, buyers and guests from all over the globe converged in Hong Kong for two glittery events on Mar. 2 to 8, 2025.

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the two jewellery shows' collective theme was "Symphony of Sparkles," likening gemstone carving to the arrangement of musical notes, embodying the beauty of creation.

The 11th Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) in Chek Lap Kok Island was held on Mar. 2 to 6 while the 41st Hong Kong International Jewellery Show was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on Mar. 4 to 8.

According to HKTDC, the twin jewellery shows attracted over 82,000 global buyers with an increase in buyers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region, Middle East, Western Europe and North America.

This illustrated Hong Kong's international influence as a trading platform for the industry, it added.

"As a leading global trading hub for the jewellery industry, the twin jewellery shows brought together international buyers and organized more than 30 industry seminars and activities to foster innovation and collaboration within the sector. The shows also actively promoted local design and nurtured the next generation of industry talents through jewellery design competitions, underscoring their impact on the global jewellery landscape and reinforcing Hong Kong's status as a world-class convention and exhibition center," HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong said.

This year's International Jewellery Show introduced the Gold Jewellery zone, showcasing unique designs and exquisitely crafted gold jewellery, and the Young Jewellery Designer Arena, highlighting the potential of emerging designers, helping the industry to capture new opportunities.

Trends, market and industry outlook

From the survey conducted by HKTDC among 1,434 exhibitors and buyers on-site, results revealed that 44.2 percent of respondents expected overall sales to increase in the next one to two years, with 50.6 percent anticipating stability.

Respondents considered the growth prospects for jewellery products in the two years with the Middle East in the lead at 76.8 percent, followed by India at 72.6 percent, Australia and Pacific Islands at 67.8 percent, Asean at 66.2 percent and Korea at 66.0 percent.

In terms of market potential, the top markets most respondents wished to enter or develop were Europe, 24.9 percent; Asean, 15.2 percent, North America, 13.4 percent; Middle East, 11.4 percent; and Japan, 7.9 percent.

Looking ahead for the next three years, technological advancements in artificial intelligence at 62.8 percent, big data at 46.9 percent and social media at 44.6 percent were anticipated to have the greatest impact on the jewellery industry.

Trendy fashion jewellery at 61.9 percent holds the greatest growth potential this year, followed by precious jewellery at 39.1 percent and demi fine jewellery at 24.4 percent.

Karat yellow gold, 43.4 percent; karat white gold, 37.8 percent and pure gold, 28.6 percent will be the most popular precious metal products in 2025.

Diamond at 47.6 percent will be the most in-demand gemstone, followed by ruby at 26.2 percent and emerald at 19.1 percent.

Exhibitors reported that their sales exceeded expectations.

Asia Jewelry Culture Design and Crafts Association Chairman Gigi Cheng said that bringing together nine designers at the International Jewellery Show connected them with buyers from the Middle East and explored new international markets, aiming for sales of US$1 million to $3 million.

Hong Kong exhibitor Hatta Chang, Chairman of Hatta New Company, stated that the company successfully connected to buyers from Russia, Korea and Mainland China with sales tripling compared to last year.

At the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show, German exhibitor HC Arnoldi e.K CEO Carl Philip Arnoldi said one of the show's biggest advantages is its ability to attract manufacturers and buyers from around the globe.

"On the first day, we received many buyers from the Middle East and Asia. We anticipate a sales growth of 20 percent to 50 percent this year," he said.

Another exhibitor pointed out that the shows not only connected them with major retailers in the United States, but also potential partners in emerging markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and more. He also met a lot of return buyers sourcing at the shows.

HKTDC also reported that buyers from Mainland China, the Middle East, the United States and Malaysia anticipated to invest sums of up to US$1 million in sourcing at the twin jewellery shows.

Satisfied exhibitors

Among the exhibitors was Christelle Ltd., formerly Wee Soon Co. Ltd., of Hong Kong.

The company specializes in the design and creation of fine jewelry in line with the latest trends using a combination of diamond, pearl and semi-precious stones.

According to general manager Martin Ibasco, their participation in the twin jewellery shows was quite fulfilling, opening more doors for the brand.

He shared that the company started with his grandmother's passion for jewelry.

With offices in Hong Kong and New York, they partner with various brands throughout Asia Pacific and Americas in developing their unique jewelry lines.

"There is no minimum on orders and we are flexible on requirements such as gold finish, gold purity 14K/18K and diamond quality VS/SI/I," he said.

For more information, visit https://www.christelle.com/.

Another is Norreslet Jewelry Manufacturers of Spain.

Originally from Denmark, founder and owner Nana Norreslet finds Spain a much better base because of its long history of jewelry manufacturing and traditional use of gold, gems and precious stones.

She supplies trendy daily-use jewelry all over Scandinavian countries with her designs, the samples she was wearing during the exhibitors breakfast meeting with the media – from earrings, necklace, rings and the heirloom ring from her mother which she said gives her so much inspiration.

For more information, visit https://norreslet.com/en/.

Muslim-friendly sourcing experience

Special measures were introduced to encourage more Muslim buyers to visit the shows, including providing prayer rooms in venues, running shuttle buses to and from local mosques, offering a list of Muslim-friendly hotels and restaurants, and cooperating with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to arrange guided tours.

As a globally leading one-stop jewellery industry sourcing platform, this year's twin jewellery shows continued to adopt the Exhibition+ online and offline hybrid format, enabling enterprises to extend their physical exhibition negotiations to online matching platforms.

HKTDC's AI-powered Click2Match provided online business matching for exhibitors and buyers, while buyers were able to use Scan2Match to scan exhibitors' QR codes and continue discussions with exhibitors online during or after the show.

Visit https://home.hktdc.com/ for more information.