JNA Sep/ Oct 2021

專題報道 JNA Sep/Oct 2021 | 25 Beauty and brilliance Amid market uncertainties, demand for bridal and engagement jewellery and fancy colour diamonds such as pinks, blues and yellows remained strong, according to Ephraim Zion, founder of House of Dehres. In 2021, Dehres sold a 10-carat D-colour flawless diamond alongside other big-ticket items priced between US$200,000 and US$500,000. “After a year of lockdowns, the appetite for jewellery has returned and even surpassed pre-Covid times in some cases,” shared Zion. “These pieces are bought to celebrate special moments in life. Luxury jewellery specifically is also associated with capital preservation and financial security.” Eliad Cohen, managing director for Asia of Novel Collection Ltd, also underscored the market’s enduring desire for diamonds and precious jewellery despite a challenging scenario. He explained that jewellers are increasingly targeting the bridal segment for online sales, but the high-end jewellery category will likely remain in the domain of physical stores. Buyers are becoming increasingly partial to jewellery that combines high value and emotional meaning, hence the need for branded collections, revealed PGI’s Daniel. With consumers attaching more importance to relationships and life occasions, PGI anticipates an increase in average spending on gifting jewellery across four major markets – US, China, Japan and India. Citing results of the Q2 2021 PGI survey, he said consumer sentiment for non-bridal jewellery remains positive, with more than 60 per cent of consumers in China, India and the US having bought non-bridal jewellery for themselves within the past 12 months. Within the non-bridal category, self-purchase is driven by women aged 18 to 45 while gifting is driven by men aged 31 to 45. Growth drivers Moving forward, Yu of Sotheby’s said he expects premium-quality white diamonds to perform strongly during auctions. Buyers will also increasingly gravitate towards personal luxury experiences where companies can build emotional connections with them. Curated events combining fine art and jewellery is also an emerging trend. Markets that will fuel demand for luxury jewellery are the US, Asia and the Middle East, he added. Dehres’ Zion meanwhile pointed to China, South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia as main growth drivers. Fellows Auctioneers’ Whittaker is seeing more and more first-time participants at online auctions every month. “We are focusing on education to try and demystify the auction process to those who may not have thought about purchasing before. We are continuing to see new registrants. Luxury jewellery is always a strong market that has proven adaptable to a more virtual marketplace,” she noted. PGI likewise maintains an upbeat outlook for luxury jewellery as more affluent customers continue to make high-end purchases. Consumers’ increased appreciation for life and significant relationships is making them choose higher-quality, big-ticket jewellery items. Non-bridal jewellery is also poised for further growth. PGI’s Q2 2021 survey showed that over 70 per cent of consumers in China and India, and more than 60 per cent of those in the US are planning to buy non-bridal jewellery for themselves in the next 12 months. Martin of OC&C Strategy Consultants meanwhile underscored the role of China’s domestic market in the luxury jewellery category. With Chinese tourists unable to travel, discretionary funds are rechannelled to luxury purchases locally. “We will see a continued boom in luxury sales within China, specifically in Hainan, which is growing very fast. This will include luxury jewellery,” he noted. 101.38 carats Size of a pear-shaped D-colour flawless diamond, which sold for HK$95.1 million (around US$12.3 million) via cryptocurrency at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in July 2021 梨形 D 色無瑕鑽石的重量，於 2021 年 7 月在香港蘇富比拍賣 會透過加密貨幣以 9,510 萬港元 ( 約合 1,230 萬美元 ) 的 價格售出 Diamond jewellery by Messika Messika 的鑽石珠寶