Hong Kong stages biggest spring jewellery show

As the world's largest jewellery event this spring, the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, is set to open. The event debuts an elite section reserved for exclusive, high-end masterpieces on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, or HKTDC, says the event this year is a total makeover offering buyers a trading space beyond the traditional.

"We're at the world's biggest jeweler fair in spring and it's happening right here at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Here is what the organizers call, the "Hall of Extraordinary". Lawrence Ma of HKTDC's described it to me as an elite section set up for the first time - reserved only for exclusive and high-end fine jewellery masterpieces like these." said Cathy Yang, Hong Kong.

"A lot of time the buyers come, yes they have a budget. They know what they want from past experience, but another great thing about a jewellery show is that buyers come to see things that they can't imagine. They never thought they could bring this to their market and to their customers." said Lawrence Ma, Chairman, HK Int'l Jewellery Show.

"So this yellow diamond, how much does this cost? This diamond is 540 thousand U.S. dollars. Half a million U.S. dollars. Is this made in Hong Kong? Yes, it's made in Hong Kong. And the materials are from? Israel. And if I wanted to pay cash, can I do that? Yes, sure. And credit card? Both. Just like that."

"Now this is one of the signature pieces here in this exhibition. It's made out of jade and apparently, a prince from the Qing Dynasty had worn it. The price tag? It's at least five million US dollars. No less than five million US dollars. Now that's negotiable because these are all collectors' items. Now for those who wanted to wear fashionable mass market jewellery, there's another section for that here." said Cathy Yang, Hong Kong.

This is the small orders section, the mass market side of the jewellery business. The more fashionable jewellery is on display here. Boutique style jewellery stores around the world come here to order as little as five pieces of a certain style, or up to a 100 of them, with prices set at no more than a thousand US dollars. So definitely well within some of your personal budgets.

As Mr. Ma tells me, 40 percent of the new exhibitors this year are Hong Kong entrepreneurs. While the remaining 60 percent come from the Mainland, the Middle East, Dubai, Africa and Japan.

And unlike in previous years, the Fair for the raw stuff that go into these jewellery pieces you see here was held two days ago in another venue, at Asia World Expo. And because the twin venues accommodated more participants, this year's turnout was a record 3,800 exhibitors.

With exhibitions like these, Hong Kong is confident it can keep its reputation for being a key venue for jewellery trade, helping it stay as one of the world's top five jewellery exporters.