HKTDC, DOPPIO APPUNTAMENTO A HONG KONG CON LE FIERE GEMELLE
HKTDC, DOUBLE DATE AT HONG KONG WITH TWIN FAIRS
Preziosa Magazine
Press Coverage
The 40th edition of the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and the 10th edition of the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show return to the old pre-pandemic formula. The diamond, gem and pearl show will be held from 27 February to 2 March at the AsiaWorld-Expo, while the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 29 February to 4 March and will offer sourcing and global trading opportunities to industry players.
The fairs will have a common denominator. The leitmotif is ‘Be Part of the Splendid Legacy’. Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, unveiled it: ‘The events will attract 4,000 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and regions to Hong Kong,’ she explained. ‘The overall scale of the fairs is close to pre-pandemic levels: more than 60 per cent of the exhibitors come from outside Hong Kong, thus accentuating its character as an international trade and jewellery sourcing centre. There will be buyers from 65 countries and regions.
The two fairs are picking up the legacy of 2023, which is already quite heavy in terms of numbers and induced revenue. Last year, in fact, Hong Kong’s jewellery exports achieved a 23% increase. Translated into cash, this means HK$87.8 billion (US$11.2 billion) over 2022 and a 40% increase over pre-pandemic 2019, with strong growth in exports to Mainland China (+20% year-on-year), the US and Switzerland, +16% and +82% respectively over the previous year.
The ‘sister’ fairs will be spread over 36 pavilions representing Belgium, Brazil, Mainland China, Colombia, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey, while Malaysia will make its debut. Among the industry pavilions, the organisers point out the return of Tanzanite Foundation, Asia Pacific Creators Association and International Coloured Gems Association.
New is the T-GOLD+METS pavilion. Co-organised by the Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers’ Association and the Italian Exhibition Group, it will be dedicated to jewellery manufacturing machinery.
Prominent within the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show is the Hall of Extraordinary, hosting 78 global exhibitors of diamond, gemstone, jade and pearl jewellery. Among them, Hong Kong exhibitor Hatta New World Company Limited (stand CEC GH-D06) will present a jewellery set with approximately 110 carats of Brazilian tourmaline Paraiba (a necklace, a ring and a pair of earrings), worth over HK$15 million. The brilliant blue Paraiba is one of the rarest gemstones on the planet.
The Design Gallery, on the other hand, will present collections and creative projects with a broad artistic and cultural scope. Some examples. The Japanese Jewellery of Raden & Urushi (stand CEC 1CON-032) will exhibit Mizuhiki, a brooch incorporating traditional Japanese craftsmanship, in particular the knotting technique. The brooch is decorated with a black pearl, a diamond and a green garnet with lacquer. Hong Kong exhibitor Charming Jewellery Ltd (stand CEC 1C-A36) will be present with its La broderie brand, which emphasises embroidery, a national heritage. Hong Kong’s embroidery masters used silk threads to create butterflies, dragonflies and orchids, stitched together with gold accessories and jewellery, producing beautifully crafted and very elegant pieces.
The Hall of Fame will feature international brands such as Giorgio Visconti from Italy, Chete from Hong Kong, Carrera Y Carrera from Spain and Lao Feng Xiang from mainland China.
The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show, on the other hand, will feature a wide range of diamond, gem and pearl exhibitors in 11 areas, three of which are dedicated to high-end products – Hall of Fine Diamond, Treasures of Nature and Treasures of Ocean – showcasing high quality white diamonds, coloured diamonds, high-end gemstones, rare pearls and other commodities from around the world.
More than 30 events, including workshops and discussions, are planned. The seminar ‘The Future of Chinese Jewellery Design and AI Empowerment’, co-organised by the Jewellers’ and Goldsmiths’ Association of Hong Kong Limited, will provide updates on the latest developments in AI and jewellery design. Valentin Andres, representative of FRED, a jewellery brand of the LVMH Group, will analyse market trends at the Buyer’s Forum. Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification and The World Jewellery Confederation, three industry standardisation and authentication bodies, will explain the details of the Fei Cui benchmark at the international standard seminar. During the seminar, a senior gemologist from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF will talk about advanced gemmology and scientific analysis of gemstone testing; a leading authority on gemstones, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), will present advances in the industry, which is always striving for research and innovation.
For the 2024 edition, the HKTDC Marketplace App and the official websites of the two fairs will not only allow users to authenticate themselves well in advance by downloading their eBadge to make sourcing more efficient, but also to use the Scan2Match function to scan exhibitors’ unique QR codes during the physical fair.
