Innovative marketing campaigns and storytelling are key to capturing younger consumers and to drive success in the jewellery trade moving forward, according to next-generation industry leaders.

Winning the hearts and trust of millennial and Gen Z buyers has become more crucial to business growth, revealed Victor Yiu, director of Zuri Jewelry, and Devansh Shah, partner at Venus Jewel, at a panel discussion on “The Future of Jewellery: Next Generation of Industry Leaders,” held on the sidelines of Jewellery & Gem ASIA Hong Kong 2023. The show ran from June 22 to 25.

Yiu described the winning formula as delivering an appealing concept or story to capture special moments for millennials. Case in point was the successful launch of the Melting Collection by Artelier as limited-edition gift options for Valentine’s Day. Artelier is a sub-brand introduced by Zuri Jewelry.

This project required anticipating upcoming trends through extensive research and developing marketing plans in advance, he added. 

“We work with a lot of marketing and media companies to examine what could hit the market in a year or so. We must be one step ahead of the market,” Yiu said.

Meanwhile, Shah addressed the importance of delivering essential information about diamonds to retailers and consumers. 

“Over the last few years, customers and retailers have increasingly been asking for the story of the diamond. Apart from the specific shape or qualities of the diamond, they want to know more about how it was crafted and where it came from,” Shah said. 

In view of this, Venus Jewel has launched the diamond story report, which details the entire journey of the diamond from mine to end-consumer. 

He also touched on the latest trends in solitaire diamonds, adding that consumers are becoming more comfortable with buying fancy shaped diamonds. 

“Going forward, there are elements like light performance and origin that could become the next big conversation when someone is thinking about purchasing a diamond. And these could be talked about in a variety of forms, shapes and parameters,” said Shah.