 |
| Buyers crowd around a Japanese Pearl dealer. |
HONG KONG — Acres of diamonds, miles of pearls and nearly
every gemstone on earth were on display during the second day of the SeptemberHong Kong Jewellery & Gem tradeshow.
I arrived for the second day and while the show
had a slow comfortable pace early, by afternoon the aisles were jammed with
buyers. This is the first part of the two-tier tradeshow. The first being held
now (September 19-23) at the Asia World Expo Centre for raw jewelry making
materials along with technical equipment and packaging. The finished jewelry
portion of the show, which attracts the most attention, will open Thursday and
run till September 25 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre near
the center of this bustling, business-minded city.
 |
| An assortment of gemstones from Marcel Poncet. |
Jewelry manufacturers from around the world are the primary buyers
at the Asia World Expo portion of what has become the world’s largest fine
jewelry show, finding equipment and materials to meet their diverse needs.
One person representing a Filipino-based gold jewelry
manufacturer said he was happy with the compact size and technological
advancements in the new laser soldering machines at the show and was ready to
purchase.
A pearl jewelry manufacturer from Hawaii said she was easily
able to find the types of pearls she needed for her market. Hawaii depends on
tourism, particularly from Asia and the U.S. She said in recession has left
only the high-end Asian market and the low-end U.S. market.
“The middle has disappeared,” she said. She was also a bit
perplexed by the cost of pearls these days. All pearls have risen in price
dramatically she said, noting as an example that an average-sized golden South Seas
pearl costs about $3,000.
 |
| Coral art displays from Lucoral's of Taiwan. |
According to reports, the first day of the show was on the
moderate side but diamond dealers are cautiously optimistic, citing recoveries
in both the China and U.S. market. Leibish Polnauer, founder and CEO of Leibish
& Co., a fancy-colored diamond company, said one- to three-carat fancy light
yellow diamonds have been popular lately because they present a value.
“The world is not coming to an end,” Polnauer said. “They (Chinese consumers) maybe making less money then they made a couple of months ago but they made money and they’re happy and they’re looking forward to enjoy what they made. The American market altogether is improving.”
He continued, “I think the show has a better momentum than
the last one (held in June). “The prices (of diamonds) are settled and with the
fancy colored stones, there’s no downturn at all…. In general the mood in
America is not bad and in China, it’s getting back from the temporary slowdown
they experienced in the summer and I think the jewelry consumption will go up.”
Diamond dealers at the show and on the flight arriving to
the event said large statement diamonds continue to be popular as an investment
for wealthy consumers.
Posts
