m a r k e t p l a c e – HONG KONG SEPTEMBER F A IR Sapphires and diamonds set in 18K gold in a floral motif, a specialty of Sabina Lee, designer for the inventive brand, Green G (Hong Kong).
Award-winning diamond and gold “Angel Gift” ring by Peter Lam (Hong Kong).
Jade is a perennial favourite among Asian consumers. Seen here is a jade and diamond ring set in 18K gold by Jun-Ming Tseng (Taiwan). Palladium has attracted the attention of jeweller Aaron Shum who has created pieces made in the white metal embellished with Swarovski natural gemstones as shown by this pendant (Hong Kong).
The Nature theme is carried through in this sapphire, diamond and 18K gold necklace by MVee (Hong Kong).
buyers, coming to the conclusion that JGF Europe can provide a viable venue for quality exhibitors showcasing a wide array of jewellery products, serving all of Europe. “Freiburg is conveniently accessible by car or by public transportation from major jewellery trading hubs such as Antwerp, Basel, Geneva, Paris, Pforzheim, and Vicenza. Only 30 minutes away from Basel, buyers can easily visit the two European fairs in one trip,” he explained. While traffic was good at AWE, a number of diamond companies indicated that demand was not as strong as they had hoped, with price a dampening factor, despite the overall drop over the last few months. Generally, however, they indicated sales were moderate to good. The same overall opinion was found in the gems section. Some reported that most sales were to Chinese buyers, with favourite stones being red gems, mainly rubies and high-end rubellites, and medium-quality green tourmalines. Pearl dealers indicated that although demand from the USA and Europe was soft, it was firmer from Asian markets, with the bulk of sales coming from Chinese buyers, followed by those from Hong Kong. South Sea golden pearls were among the favoured purchases. At the opening of the HKCEC venue, sentiments were similar, with sales ranging from slow to moderate to good. Traffic was high on the first two days, then calmer later on, although some booths continued to be busy, especially in Hall 1 and the Hong Kong Premier Pavilion. Many exhibitors 82
An important trend at the fair was the use of black and white diamonds set in rhodium-plated gold as seen in this pair of earrings by Vida (Hong Kong).
were hoping Asian buyers would make up for the declining demand from Europe and the USA, but others were resigned to the fact that the precarious global economic scenario is also affecting the Asian demand for fine jewellery. “The Hong Kong jewellery manufacturers and gemstone suppliers, as well as the industry as a whole, have been affected by the monetary and economic situation in the European Union and the United States, Bold long turquoise and silver necklace by Yang Lay (Singapore).
which has also impacted the markets in Asia and China,” said Kent Wong, Assistant Chairman of the Hong Kong Jewellers’ and Goldsmith Association. “Fine jewellery seems to be suffering from the slowing growth, but I stress that it is only the growth rate that has slowed. Our total growth rate was 60 percent last year, but at the first half of this year, we are only seeing about 10-plus percent growth.” He added that although sales of high-end products have been affected, the middle and lower-end goods are still being purchased. This sentiment was echoed by Ricky Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association, who forecast that the lower-to-middle markets in Asia, especially China, will continue to make up for the slowdown in other areas. Lam added that many people consider jewellery to be an investment given the uncertainty in the overall economic environment. “Jewellery, diamonds, and gold are thought of as a way to preserve value, thus, ever since the financial crisis, Hong Kong’s export of jewellery items has been rising. Last year, exports increased 67 percent.” Overall, exhibitors expressed satisfaction with the business and contacts they made over the five-day event. As for products, just about everything was available, and the photos on these pages offer a glimpse into the many beautiful designs from Asian companies present at the fair. The dates for the 2013 edition are early next year, from September 11 to 17. (www.ubmasia.com)