Platinum Guild International (PGI) took centrestage on day four of Jewellery and Gem WORLD Hong Kong, staging a landmark conference on future trends in jewellery and platinum’s position as an important innovator and premium value creator in a jeweller’s business portfolio.
In its debut appearance, the PGI Conference attracted over 150 jewellery professionals at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21st September 2023. The first ever meet signalled the organisation’s continued mission to provide market support and intelligence to jewellery producers globally and specifically here in the burgeoning China region. PGI also hosted a booth at the Jewellery Fair this year.
Nine speakers shared their insights on the theme of “Trends Shaping the Future of Jewellery: the Role of Platinum”, including international experts invited from the US, the UK, Italy and China. They addressed such pertinent topics such as consumers’ evolving tastes and desires and how they perceive value; technological innovation and the value it creates; the essential drive for sustainability and responsibility; and the progressive trend of platinum as not only the metal of choice but also of goodwill that is helping pave a better future for humankind.
Increased transparency in the jewellery supply chain as the world moves to more ethical and sustainable business models was central to speeches by Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO; Tiffany Stevens, CEO and General Counsel of the US-headquartered Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC); and Wesley Tucker, CEO of De Beers’ blockchain-based diamond-tracing platform Tracr.
Tony Chen, Anglo American’s Head of PGM Market Development for Asia-Pacific; Chloe Cunningham, Program Manager – Precious Metals of next-generation alloy and process design technologies firm Alloyed; and platinum expert Josh Helmich, CEO of Helmich Luxury Group, focussed on the benefits for the jewellery sector of platinum’s increasing use in new industrial and green technologies.
Conference speakers described how international luxury brands and small-scale producers in China alike can leverage these advancements in customised platinum alloys, alongside pioneering platinum innovation in powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing, to solve production issues, maximise their business potential, and push novel platinum pieces onto the global jewellery market.
In his address, Yongwoon Sim, General Manager, IGI China, emphasised the importance of diamonds and coloured gemstones – acknowledged by the industry as best set in strong, resilient platinum – in the future of jewellery in China and the necessity of product diversity for sustainable growth.
To facilitate growth in all levels of the market, PGI has long encouraged diamond setters, designers, manufacturers and retailers through new and ongoing collaborations and initiatives to make platinum their white metal of choice. Evidence of these efforts was displayed at the PGI Booth, which was prominently located in the Hong Kong Jewellery Fair exhibition hall, including a preview of pieces crafted by independent Chinese brands as part of the Pt® Edition Co-create Project.
Conceived by PGI, with the assistance of Ontimeshow and MetaMedia Group, the annual initiative fosters talent and ingenuity in an area of the market that is fashion driven in non-traditional jewellery. Expressing this year’s theme of ‘Looking in, looking out’, the platinum collections will be launched at 2023 Shanghai Fashion Week, held from 8th-16th October.