Exhibitors at the 2025 twin Hong Kong jewellery shows, which ran from 2nd to 8th March, said that market sentiment had exceeded expectations against a backdrop of concerns over the global economic outlook.
Organisers the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) reported an increase in buyers from ASEAN and the Middle East, Western Europe and North America.
The twin shows attracted over 82,000 buyers from 141 countries and regions, underscoring the importance of Hong Kong’s influence as a trading platform.
Among them, some 32,000 buyers from 125 countries and regions participated in the Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, while about 51,000 buyers from 133 countries and regions attended the International Jewellery Show.
An on-site survey revealed that buyers and exhibitors considered the Middle East market to hold the greatest potential for growth in the jewellery industry over the next two years.
Over 40% of respondents expected overall sales to increase in the next one to two years, with more than 50% anticipating stability.
Buyers closely checking the product at the HK show.
The 41st Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and 11th Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, attracted some 4,000 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and regions, running in the “two shows, two venues” format.
The Jewellery Show concluded at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) on 8th March, while the Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show closed at AsiaWorld-Expo, near Hong Kong airport, on 6th March.
This year’s International Show introduced the Gold Jewellery zone, showcasing unique designs and exquisitely crafted gold jewellery, and the Young Jewellery Designer Arena, highlighting the potential of emerging designers, helping the industry to capture new opportunities.
Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “As a leading global trading hub for the jewellery industry, the twin jewellery shows brought together international buyers and organised more than 30 industry seminars and activities to foster innovation and collaboration within the sector.
Buyers at the HK show were eager to engage in serious business.
“The shows also actively promote local design and nurture the next generation of industry talents through jewellery design competitions, underscoring their impact on the global jewellery landscape and reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a world-class convention and exhibition centre.”
Exhibitors among Indian natural diamond manufacturers spoke privately of a mixed response: they saw brisk networking and strong attendance, but some spoke of moderate orders due to a slow Chinese economy.
Among the Indian exhibitors, Mumbai-based Venus Jewel presented Matched Pair reports, as well as a selection of diamonds – in round, heart and princess shapes – that each weighed just over 8 carats, called the “Fortune8”. The number 8 symbolises wealth, luck and limitless opportunities.
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) supported Indian exporters at the show, such as Mumbai-based Tankaria, which presented lightweight platinum chains and rings manufactured in Japan.
Wholesaler Nysa will distribute the lightweight platinum range in the UK from April.
Referring to the impact of U.S. tariffs on China, organisers said that Hong Kong jewellery exporters would respond by moving to offer more competitive designs, using the latest technologies, and by seeking to expand their geographical markets to destinations such as Asia. The United States is the leading market presently for Hong Kong jewellery exports.
Exhibitors and buyers are most optimistic about the Middle East market
To gain deeper insights into current and upcoming trends in the jewellery industry, the HKTDC conducted a survey among 1,434 exhibitors and buyers on-site.
The results revealed that buyers and exhibitors are cautiously optimistic on the industry outlook.
Key findings from the survey are as follows:
Market and industry outlook
- 44.2% of respondents expected overall sales to increase in the next one to two years, with 50.6% anticipating stability.
- Respondents considered the growth prospects for jewellery products in the following target sales markets to be optimistic and very optimistic in the next two years: Middle East (76.8%), India (72.6%), Australia and Pacific Islands (67.8%), ASEAN (66.2%) and Korea (66.0%).
- In terms of market potential, the top markets most respondents wished to enter or develop were Europe (24.9%), ASEAN (15.2%), North America (13.4%), Middle East (11.4%) and Japan (7.9%).
- Looking ahead for the next three years, technological advancements in artificial intelligence (62.8%), big data (46.9%) and social media (44.6%) were anticipated to have the greatest impact on the jewellery industry.
Product trends
- Respondents believed that trendy fashion jewellery (61.9%), precious jewellery (39.1%) and demi fine jewellery (24.4%) have the greatest growth potential this year.
- Diamond (47.6%) will be the most in-demand gemstone, followed by ruby (26.2%) and emerald (19.1%).
Echoing measures in the latest Government Budget, the twin jewellery shows continued to explore ways to facilitate local businesses expanding into the Mainland Chinese market and to seize e-commerce opportunities.
This year, mainland e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall joined the International Jewellery Show for the first time, helping exhibitors to enter the mainland market via live e-commerce.
Exhibitors reported sales exceeded expectations
Exhibitors reporting that their sales exceeded expectations in 2025.
Bringing together nine designers at the International Jewellery Show, the chairman of the Asia Jewelry Culture Design and Crafts Association in Hong Kong, Gigi Cheng, said: “We hope to connect with buyers from the Middle East through the show and explore new international markets, aiming for sales of US$1 million to $3 million.”
Hong Kong exhibitor Hatta Chang, Chairman of Hatta New Company, said the company connected to buyers from Russia, Korea and Mainland China, with sales tripling compared to last year.
At the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, Carl Philip Arnoldi, CEO of German exhibitor HC Arnoldi e.K, said: “One of the show’s biggest advantages is its ability to attract manufacturers and buyers from around the globe. On the first day, we received many buyers from the Middle East and Asia. We anticipate a sales growth of 20% to 50% this year.”
Another exhibitor pointed out that the shows not only connected them with major retailers in the United States, but also potential partners in emerging markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and more. He met a lot of returning buyers sourcing at the shows.
Additionally, buyers from Mainland China, the Middle East, the United States and Malaysia anticipated investing sums of up to US$1 million in sourcing at the twin jewellery shows.
At the International Jewellery Show, Hunan Caidu Jewelry Trading Co., Ltd from Mainland China placed an order of more than US$400,000 for high-quality pearls from Australia.
Kanz Jewels LLC from the UAE budgeted to place an order worth US$250,000.
Lebanese buyer Michel Zoughaib praised the show as a one-stop platform for sourcing products with different designs, as well as jewellery technology and packaging.
He came with a budget of US$1 million but, “If I can find the right supplier, I can spend up to US$15 million,” he said.
David Levy, President of David Levy Diamond Inc. in the United States, said that the shows not only enabled connections with manufacturers but also provided access to different types of businesses within the supply chain.
He believed that by attending the Hong Kong twin jewellery shows, he could find everything he needed.
“I expect to spend US$200,000 at the Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show and at least US$250,000 at the Jewellery Show,” he said.
The sourcing dynamic of buyers from the ASEAN market was noticeably vibrant, with Tomei Gold and Jewelry Manufacturing SDN BHD from Malaysia saying it had allocated a procurement budget of US$100,000 to $200,000.
Enhancing support for a Muslim-friendly sourcing experience
This year, special measures were introduced to encourage more Muslim buyers to visit the shows, including providing prayer rooms in venues, running shuttle buses to and from local mosques, offering a list of Muslim-friendly hotels and restaurants, and cooperating with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to arrange guided tours.
As a globally leading one-stop jewellery industry sourcing platform, this year’s twin jewellery shows continued to adopt the EXHIBITION+ online and offline hybrid format, enabling enterprises to extend their physical exhibition negotiations to online matching platforms.
The HKTDC’s AI-powered Click2Match provided online business matching for exhibitors and buyers, while buyers were able to use Scan2Match to scan exhibitors’ QR codes and continue discussions with exhibitors online during or after the show.
Buyers could enhance their efficiency by completing registration and buyer verification in advance through the HKTDC Marketplace App and the official show websites.