FOCUS 焦点 PEARL REPORT | 16 | 2023-2024 For instance, the company unveiled a necklace adorned with Marutea (Tahitian) pearls from its Castaway Collection in 2022. The piece costs EUR22,000 (around US$23,700) at retail. Gellner was initially looking at offering just a few pieces for the Christmas season, but 10 necklaces were quickly snapped up within 10 days. By the end of 2022, Gellner had already sold 22 pieces. “That was quite a success. We could not have sold that necklace at that price range three or five years ago,” noted Jorg. “We see a shift in how people buy jewellery and the kind of designs they gravitate to.” Gellner’s bestselling Castaway Collection features elegant combinations of pearls with diamonds. Jorg does not see a drastic drop in luxury jewellery shopping even as international travel is normalising. Jewellers may sell fewer pieces but at higher prices with better returns, which is testament to buyers’ willingness to invest in luxurious items, he explained. There is also an emerging pearl jewellery culture among younger people aged between 20 and 35 years old. And they favour Japanese Akoya pearls. Gellner recorded a 60 per cent year-on-year jump in sales of plain Japanese Akoya pearl necklaces in 2022 alone. The company likewise unveiled a men’s jewellery line, which was well-received in the market. Gellner specialises in South Sea, Tahitian and Japanese pearl jewellery, with major markets all over Europe. This constant innovation in design and product offerings is key to sustaining buyers’ interest, remarked Michael Hakimian, CEO of high-end pearl jeweller Yoko London. Yoko London made substantial investments in new production techniques, technology and increasingly inventive designs while offering a broader price range encompassing entrylevel jewellery pieces to exclusive, one-of-a-kind items. The UK-based jeweller, whose main markets are the US, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, aims to produce 200 to 300 jewellery pieces a year as a way to diversify its product portfolio and appeal to a wider buyer demographic. Yoko London produced 300 new items at the height of the Covid19 pandemic. Hakimian said, “We found many new clients and established new partnerships with retailers around the world because of this endeavour. They like what we do and the message that our collections represent.” Echoing industry observations, he said smaller Japanese Akoya pearls are enjoying strong demand today, thanks to their inimitable quality and affordability. These pearls, however, are also harder to come by. Yoko London has introduced a great deal of collections featuring ultrafeminine 3mm to 5mm Japanese Akoya pearls, which have become top sellers. White South Sea pearls are also gaining further traction, specifically those sized 9mm to 12mm as opposed to larger ones, which were trendier five or six years ago. Collectors, on the other end of the spectrum, continue to source 17mm to 19mm pearls as these are classic pieces. Yoko London’s new collection launching in September 2023 celebrates the company’s unique design philosophy of melding classic and contemporary styles. “There is always one aesthetic element that makes the designs more innovative and up to date. We call it ‘pearls with a twist.’ That is our claim to fame,” noted Hakimian. Pearl prospects Cheng of Rio Pearl raised the need to strengthen efforts to resonate more effectively with the younger generation and to appeal to a wider range of consumers. “We are seeing this in China. There are also a lot of young people entering our industry as wholesalers, who in turn, can attract a younger customer base. This is good for our industry,” he noted. Kakuda of JPEA, for his part, said the demand and supply situation could stabilise in five to six years’ time, but 2023 is projected to be a year of growth for the pearl sector, owing to soaring demand from major markets, led by China. 珍珠以其天然美态、多样风格和辉煌的历史而深受业界 欢迎，成为高级珠宝系列的主角。 年轻买家重视珍珠的创意潜力，也有越来越多男士将佩 戴珍珠视作时尚宣言，需求相当强劲。 大量的需求正在推高价格。一些珍珠商指出，日本海水 珠、南洋珠和大溪地珠的价格将远超于新冠疫情前的水平。 需求高企加上珍珠贝死亡率和水温波动等环境挑战所导 致的供应限制，也是一个值得关注的问题，但珍珠公司相信 有足够的库存来满足市场。 珍珠行业状况 中国市场正引领着珍珠需求的增长，而欧美市场的需求 也不相上下，尤其是优质珍珠方面。 日本真珠输出组合(JPEA)主席觉田让治表示，中国的需 求正在推动价格急剧上涨，令其他国家的买家难以适应。 日本海水珠在拍卖会上的价格从2015年的每毛美 (momme) 3,000日元，上升至2020的每毛美7,300日元，升幅 超过100%。这些数字以联合销售结果为基础，代表从顶级到 一般品质珍珠的每毛美平均价格。 Earrings in 18-karat white gold with 15.2mm South Sea pearls and diamonds from Yoko London’s High Jewellery Collection Yoko London高级珠宝 系列 18K白金耳环，镶有 15.2 毫米 南洋珠和钻石
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