Two major jewellery trade shows organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will open next week.
The fifth Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show, which specialises in loose stones and raw materials for jewellery, will be held from February 27 to March 3 at AsiaWorld-Expo, while the 35th Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, which showcases finished jewellery, will be at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from March 1 to 5.
More than 4550 exhibitors from 50 countries and regions will feature in the two shows, forming the world’s largest jewellery marketplace. It is the fifth year for the HKTDC’s “two shows, two venues” format.
“As global economic conditions improved last year, sales of fine jewellery rebounded with the rise in purchasing power,” says HKTDC acting executive director Benjamin Chau. Exports of precious jewellery grew 3.6 per cent while Hong Kong’s total exports of pearls, precious and semi-precious stones and raw materials increased by nearly 14 per cent in value.
Buying missions
The HKTDC is organising 115 buying missions comprising more than 8000 companies from 75 countries and regions to visit the shows. International industry organisations and associations will set up 34 group pavilions representing such countries as Australia, China, India, Myanmar and Thailand.
Apart from returning to the Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show, the Japan Pearl Exporters Association will debut a pavilion at the Jewellery Show to showcase finished pearl jewellery. Other pavilions include the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, the International Coloured Gemstone Association, the Israel Diamond Institute, the Tanzanite Foundation, and the Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of Liaoning from China as a first-time participant.
Special product zones at the Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show will include the Hall of Fine Diamonds, featuring the world’s top suppliers; the Treasures of Nature, a zone dedicated to precious and semi-precious coloured gems; and the Treasures of Ocean, which displays quality pearls.
Highlight exhibits include a handmade platinum ring set with a 28-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond and valued at more than HK$33.2 million (US$4.2 million), a Colombian emerald jewellery set worth more than $23.4 million from Hong Kong exhibitor Hatta New World, a two-carat rare green diamond and a 1.37-carat Australian Argyle pink diamond valued at more than $7 million from Hong Kong exhibitor Rachminov Diamonds 1891 Asia.
Focus on IT
Making its debut at the Jewellery Show is the IT Solutions for Jewellery zone. This will
showcase the latest technology and software for inventory management, design, production and e-commerce advancement, including IoT devices for the jewellery industry. Exhibits include the mTray, a smart jewellery tray from Hong Kong’s Megasoft that can monitor stock status and transmit product information to the customer’s smartphone through NFC. Another Hong Kong exhibitor, SSIWO Technologies, will display its AR product that allows customers to try on different jewellery pieces via a smartphone app.
On the second day of the event, the HKTDC will organise a seminar on jewellery technology covering such themes as cloud technology and big data applications. A Hong Kong Science Park company, Master Dynamic, will share its latest innovation, the world’s smallest diamond-marking technology.
Other themed zones include the Hall of Fame, which will gather about 40 jewellery brands
including Italy’s Giorgio Visconti, Japan’s Kuwayama, Thailand’s Pranda Group, Mainland China’s jewellery chain store Lao Feng Xiang, India’s Love Cuts, Spain’s Magerit and Hong Kong’s SKSM and Lady Heart.
The Hall of Extraordinary will display one-off jewellery pieces from nearly 100 exhibitors. Hong Kong’s Jadmily Jewelry Corporation will showcase a necklace worth $60 million with 109.04-carat sapphires and 151.39-carat diamonds.
Another Hong Kong exhibitor, Foo Hang Jewellery, will present a set of diamond jewellery with a value of $37 million, including an 18K white-gold diamond ring with a 26.86-carat round diamond worth $31.7 million.
The Designer Galleria will feature jewellery pieces from 58 local and overseas designers, including Sarah Zhuang, the winner of the Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition Open Group Best-of-Show Award with her East-meets-West diamond collection.
HKTDC will host networking events during the two shows, including jewellery parades, buyer and exhibitor forums, thematic seminars, designer sharing sessions and networking receptions.
For seminars, a representative of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will share the laboratory’s latest breakthroughs in diamond research. Other seminars will cover such topics as jewellery trend forecasts, identification technologies and marketing strategies.
As well, the HKTDC has joined with four jewellery associations to organise the 19th Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition, this year’s theme being “The Vibrant Hong Kong”. There were 166 entries, and the winning pieces will be displayed at the Jewellery Show.
