Q&A: How Hong Kong’s jewellery trade shows are making progress

The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show this year features a dedicated lab-grown diamonds and synthetic gemstones section for the first time. In light of this development, and the fact that it is the biggest iteration yet of the event, we put a few questions about growth and the evolving exhibitor profile to the organisers. How many exhibitors and visitors attended the shows last year? In 2017, the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show and the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show featured about 4,480 exhibitors, and attracted over 85,000 buyers from 144 countries and regions. More than 33,000 buyers visited the Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, while some 52,000 visitors attended the Jewellery Show. The twin shows form the world’s largest jewellery marketplace, and welcome over 4,550 exhibitors from 52 countries and regions in total this year, setting a new record. What has prompted the designation of a lab-grown diamonds and synthetic gemstones section this year in particular? Is there increased demand from these types of exhibitors perhaps indicating growth in this segment of the market? With the technologies of laboratory-grown diamonds and synthetic gemstones getting more advanced, a lot of these synthetic stones have achieved gem-quality status. The new zones “Laboratory-grown Diamonds” and “Synthetic Gemstones” are thus introduced at the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show this year such that buyers specifically looking for synthetic stones can identify and source these products more easily. Are there any stats on which halls/categories have the highest footfall demand from previous years? To facilitate buyers to source jewellery raw materials and maximise their sourcing experience, the Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show has set up thematic zones for different product categories. The zones encompass a comprehensive range of exhibits including diamonds, gemstones, pearls, rough stones and minerals as well as testing, inspection and certification services. Though we do not have statistics on the number of visitors at each zone, buyers are welcome to source from the extensive offerings as needed.