Updated on April 27

 

For the last 40 years, JNA has been providing the global jewellery industry with trusted trade news to help stakeholders grow their enterprises. As we confidently stride into our fourth decade armed with a renewed promise to deliver the news and insights you need, we congratulate industry stalwarts that are also celebrating milestones this year.

 

JGW's 40^th edition

Informa Markets is holding the 40^th edition of Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong this year. Previously known as the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, the show made its debut in 1983 in a Hong Kong hotel with some 100 exhibitors. It has since grown into the world's leading jewellery and gem event, a must-attend item on any jewellery professional's calendar. The show has withstood the test of time, evolving with the needs of exhibitors and buyers while capably handling challenges such as weather disturbances, public incidents and a pandemic. This September, JGW and JNA will celebrate their ruby milestones with a host of special initiatives to mark their continued commitment and dedication to serve the global gem and jewellery industry.

 

PNJ celebrates 35 years

Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ) is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Launched in 1988 by Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, PNJ has grown from an initial team of 20 to the largest jewellery manufacturer and retailer in Vietnam. It now employs nearly 7,000 people and operates more than 400 outlets across the country.  
 

The Plumb Club @ 40

Also turning 40 is the Plumb Club, a New York-based jewellery association of suppliers. What started out as a social club in 1983 has evolved into a networking, business and education platform. In recent years, it has rolled out new initiatives such as its TPC-365 platform of interactive jewellery showrooms; its Jewelers Resource Center that offers training and educational videos alongside lists of service providers; and live industry events.

 

40 editions of AGTA GemFair Tucson 

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) celebrated the 40^th edition of its Tucson show this year. The fair debuted in 1982 with 80 exhibitors and is now one of Tucson’s flagship events, attracting some 8,000 buyers to view the goods of over 300 exhibitors. AGTA’s premier gem trade event only missed one outing - in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

40^th World Diamond Congress

From March 28 to 30, heads of diamond bourses around the world converged in Israel for the first in-person World Diamond Congress since the pandemic. The last one, in September 2020, was held over Zoom. The Congress is the biennial meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. Discussions centred on Russia-sourced diamonds, lab-grown diamonds and the growing need for transparency, traceability and technology to usher the trade into the new diamond reality. 

 

Pranda Group turns 50

Founded in 1973, the Thailand-based jewellery manufacturer specialises in OEM, ODM and OBM business. Pranda counts leading fine jewellery brands in the US, Europe and Asia among its clients, while also maintaining its own distinctive brands and retail network. A master of high-quality mass-produced jewellery, the group maintains three factories in Thailand and Vietnam. It also operates retail points of sale and online channels in Thailand, Vietnam, India and the UK.

 

Sotheby’s Asia @ 50

Sotheby’s is celebrating 50 years in Asia. Part of the auction house’s year of celebration is its Spring Sales Series across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore and Vietnam from April 1 to 8. Its four evening sales in Hong Kong on April 5 brought in a total of HK$1.5 billion (US$193 million). “Sotheby’s is much more than an auction house. As we celebrate five decades of company and collecting legacy, we also embark on the journey of Sotheby’s new era in Asia, in the 50 years to come,” said Nathan Drahi, managing director of Sotheby’s Asia.
 

100 years of Gubelin Gem Lab

True to form, Gubelin Gem Lab is celebrating a century of innovation with a groundbreaking artificial intelligence-powered platform for gemmological analysis. Gemtelligence uses AI to determine the origin of emeralds, rubies and sapphires and ensures consistency in the analysis of coloured gemstones.

 

View the rest of JNA's 40^th Anniversary special content programme here.