Jewellers are counting on the Asian market to bolster a much-anticipated growth in the trade, revealed exhibitors at Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong (JGA), which opened yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

Renowned as Asia’s largest mid-year B2B jewellery show, JGA 2023 is showcasing the latest products and services from 1,688 exhibitors from 33 countries and regions. 

According to Shantanu Navlakha, owner of Hong Kong-based Astrella Creations, the industry is heavily focusing on Asia post-pandemic, owing to slower markets in the US and Europe. 

“Asia is doing well, especially China, India and Southeast Asia,” shared Navlakha. “We are setting our sights on potential buyers from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam at this year’s JGA.”

The company is offering a new collection of smaller, everyday enamel jewellery pieces, on top of its core fine jewellery products adorned with rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other coloured gemstones like Paraiba tourmaline and opals. 

Nicola Mocellin, sales manager at Italy-based Tecnigold, is also eyeing prospective clients from Asia. The company, a major manufacturer of high-quality gold chains, has a global customer portfolio that includes India, the Philippines, Myanmar, China and Hong Kong, to name a few. 

“We expect to do business with Asian buyers and find new clients,” noted Mocellin. “It has been quiet over the last two years, but we hope this show turns out better than previous Hong Kong fairs. We are also optimistic about a full recovery at the September show.”

Asia is likewise a top priority for Cocktail Jewellery (Asia Pacific) Ltd in Hong Kong. According to sales representative Adam Crase, the company is showcasing a diverse range of gold and sterling silver jewellery. “We are looking for Asian clients, but our strongest business is in Europe,” he added. 

Amid moderate expectations for this year’s edition of JGA, Crase said the year 2023 will be about consolidating and regaining business footing after a few challenging years.   

“What is important is, people who do come to the show will go home and talk about how everything is back to normal and business as usual. That would be a good lead into September,” he noted.