Hong Kong – Where the World Meets

October 2014

Despite political unrest in the city, the September 2014 edition of the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair attracted a record number of exhibitors and buyers from around the world, reinforcing its role as a global meeting place for jewellery, diamonds, pearls, and gemstones.
By Cynthia Unninayar

Hong Kong – Where the World Meets

October 2014

Organized by UBM, the seven-day HKJGF closed on September 21, 2014 with record-breaking results. Some 3,695 exhibitors from 49 countries and regions, divided between the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) for finished jewellery and Asia World Expo (AWE) for diamonds, gemstones, and pearls, attracted 59,116 unique buyers from 157 countries and regions, a 12-percent increase over last year.

“Today, the September Fair is the most influential B2B jewellery trade event where the most engaged jewellers in the industry access premium quality buyers,” commented Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs, UBM Asia. “It is the ultimate platform for lobbying and agenda-setting for the industry, and for discovering the products and ideas that excite the jewellery market. The 17-percent growth in visitor numbers from Asia compared to last year’s edition tells us that the region continues to be the key driver in the world’s jewellery market.”

“This edition marked the first time that the number of visitors from China (18,310) surpassed the number of Hong Kong-based visitors (17,079),” added Lau. After these two regions, most visitors, in decreasing order, came from India, USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, Korea, and Indonesia.


Mousson Atelier made a big statement with its one-of-a-kind pieces in gold and gemstones (Russia) (left) London Blue topaz and gold earrings by Bellon (France) (center) Stylized gold pendant by Magerit (Spain) (right).


Colourful gemstone and diamond flower earrings by Ellagem (USA) (right) Selection of gemstone and gold rings from the “Monet” collection by Green G (Hong Kong) (center) Fancy coloured diamonds garnered much attention, including this rare pink and white diamond ring by Nar Wong (USA) (right)

Something for Everyone

You could find just about every type of jewellery at the HKCEC. Manufacturers, brands, and designers from around the globe showcased items ranging from inexpensive mass-produced goods to high-end luxury products. All types of materials could be found—resin, silver, titanium, bronze, palladium, gold, and platinum—set with everything from crystals and glass to diamonds, pearls, and gemstones. Halls were divided by category and by regions, for ease in sourcing. The three major areas were the Hong Kong Premier Pavilion with 41 high-end local companies, the International Premier Pavilion, featuring 71 up-market brands from 21 countries, and the Fine Design Pavilion where 74 global brands showcased their wares. Among others were the Antique & Vintage Jewellery, Silver Jewellery, Accessories, and Fine Asian Jewellery pavilions. The largest national pavilion was that of Thailand, featuring simple silver to sophisticated gem and gold creations. This year, the diamond pavilion at the AWE was the world’s largest.


Tourmalines seemed to be a favoured gem at the show with Asian buyers. Shown here is a multi-coloured tourmaline bracelet in gold and silver by Amrapali (India) (left) Airy “Vita Vitae Entwine” pendant in gold and diamonds by Sarah Ho (United Kingdom) (center) Edgy jewellery, especially skulls, were evident at the show, as in this example of a skull ring in gems and gold by MVee (Hong Kong) (right).

In terms of trends, it was impossible to pinpoint any major design direction given the vast number of styles at the show. Having said that, however, there were many examples of the Top Ten Trends 2014 that we predicted in our Winter issue (see CIJintl.com). Colour was everywhere. Jadeite continued to be a favourite element in jewellery, although it seemed to be eclipsed somewhat by the traditional trio of ruby, sapphire, and emerald, as featured by both local and overseas companies. Tanzanite and sky blue topaz were popular at the AWE, as was tourmaline, notably the green and pinks, although the neon-blue Paraiba varieties, from both Brazil and Africa, were not lacking. Coloured diamonds attracted a lot of attention at some of the designer booths as well as loose stones at the AWE. Honey-coloured amber drew attention from Chinese buyers.


Winner of the Tokyo Governor category in the Japan Jewellery Design Awards 2014 was Masaki Shimizu for his stunning “Loving Sentiments” silver necklace (Japan) (left) Nature-inspired “Camellia” brooch made of gemstones, enamel, and gold by Okurado (Japan) (center) At AWE, Constantin Wild showcased a selection of high-quality gems such as this pair of 100-ct green tourmalines (Germany) (right)

Natured-inspired pieces, mostly flowers and birds, satisfied the demand by Chinese buyers for flora and fauna. The decrease in the price of gold notwithstanding, lacy motifs were popular in many designs, while the edgy look, mainly skulls, continued its popularity. Knuckle rings, tassels of all sorts, and exotic earrings were showcased at many stands. A variety of the jewellery from around the world shown at the Hong Kong show is featured on these pages.

Visitor Comments

“We come every year to the September fair to source high-quality gems and diamonds for our creations. The shuttle makes it easy to access the AWE, which is our main focus.” – Lisa Wong, buyer for Nar Wong (USA). “This is my sixth visit to the September fair. The fair separates loose and finished jewellery, which is a brilliant idea. The mobile app is user-friendly and helped facilitate my trip.” – Marc A. Green, vice-chairman, Lux Bond & Green (USA). “We visit this fair regularly. Services are good and we can acquire updated market trends here. The sectors make it easy for us to locate products.” – Suvarna Kadam, director, Beauty Gem, Inc (India).


The AWE stand of AG Colour drew a lot of attention for the brand’s exceptional tanzanites (USA) (left) One-of-a-kind baroque pearl and diamond “White Swan” brooch by Mario Buzzanca (Hong Kong) (center) A new brand in the Aspire Group, Sawel featured jewellery with whimsical rotating centres in gold, gems, and diamonds (Hong Kong) (right)

“I have visited the September Fair many times to meet my existing and potential new suppliers of diamonds and fine finished jewellery. It’s certainly an excellent platform to find new suppliers, market trends, and to network. The organizer’s service is great, particularly the currency exchange service.” – Simon Phillips, director, Lawrence Blunt Ltd (United Kingdom).

“The September Fair always impresses me with the broad product variety and exhibitors’ profiles. I was able to find new suppliers, meet existing partners, network, and update myself with the market trends via the insightful special events. The product sectors, informative fair website, and user-friendly mobile apps assisted me in locating products.” – Alex Jeyaraj, sourcing executive, Rosy Blue (Dubai). “To see upcoming market trends and meet serious jewellery professionals, the September Fair is an event one can’t afford to miss.” – Massimiliano Arostinin, director, Picador (Italy).

JNA Awards

HKJGF, honoured innovators and leaders in the jewellery industry in manufacturing, branding, retailing, best business practices, innovation, sustainability, and outstanding contributions. With strong support from its Headline Partners, Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook, the JNA Awards is recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the trade. Twenty people and companies were recognized in a variety of categories. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Anoop Mehta, president of the Bharat Diamond Bourse, while Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, was received the Outstanding Contribution of the Year Award for his accomplishments at the DMCC in the global gem and jewellery trade.


Multi-strand “Dune Design” necklace in rhodium, ruthenium, and yellow gold-plated 925 silver with diamond cut effect by The Fifth Season (Italy) (left) 17 Fancy coloured diamonds were prized at the September show and a good selection was offered by Antwerp Cut (Belgium) (center) 18 Emerald displayed at AWE by Clarity Enhancement Laboratory, developer of the ExCel Process, an emerald enhancement guaranteed for life (USA) (right).

Other award winners included: Brand of the Year, Retail—Paspaley; Retailer of the Year—Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd; E-tailer of the Year—Shanghai Wisdom Jewelry Trading Co Ltd (Zbird); Industry Innovation of the Year, Manufacturing, Business—Frank Wu Design; Manufacturer of the Year, Diamond Cutting and Polishing—Kiran Gems Pvt Ltd; Sustainability Initiative of the Year—Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd; Outstanding Enterprise of the Year, ASEAN Countries—Jewelmer Joaillerie; Outstanding Enterprise of the Year, India—Hari Krishna Exports Pvt Ltd. For a complete list of honourees, see JNAAwards.com.


Amber jewelry is very popular with Chinese buyers. Shown here are Ewa Rachon (left), Amberif Project Director, and Bozena Przytocka, owner of Solo, a company specializing in Baltic amber jewelry, who said that the Hong Kong show was very good for her company (left) Yoko London launched several new collections in Hong Kong, including this exquisite pair of earrings made of sapphires, diamonds, and pearls.(right)