What To Except At The World’s Largest Jewelry Trade Fair

Hong Kong will once again be the center of the jewelry world when the annual Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong opens in a few days. The annual trade fair is considered the largest in the world in terms of the number of exhibitors and visitors.

In 2023, the fair attracted 53,879 buyers from 142 countries and regions, with approximately 70% of the visitors outside Hong Kong, according to Informa Markets, a publishing and tradeshow company that owns and operates the fair. These buyers were there to view the goods and services of 3,422 exhibitors from 44 countries. This year, fair organizers once again expect more than 3,000 exhibitors and roughly the same number of buyers. These numbers are comparable to what they were prior to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The fair is so large it is held at two venues with staggered dates for each: AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) September 16 – 20 and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), September 18 – 22, in the center of Hong Kong.

The AWE venue near Hong Kong International Airport is largely dedicated to the materials for making jewelry. Natural and lab-grown diamonds, colored gems from amethyst to zircon can be found, along with pearls, jewelry accessories and just about anything else that involves the design, creation and manufacturing of jewels.

The HKCEC portion of the fair is dedicated primarily to finished jewels, ranging from inexpensive fashion jewels to high-end luxury pieces to antique jewels and watches.

Overall, there are 20 product specific areas known as pavilions and 21 country pavilions. There is probably no place in the jewelry industry that has the size and diversity of this fair. U.S. jewelry designer, Etienne Perret, who has attended the fair as a buyer and exhibitor, summed up summed it up in 2012 by saying, “This is the meat and potatoes that fill the jewelry store shelves all over the world. Everybody from everywhere is shopping here.”

One of the things the show is doing this year is placing emphasis on its educational program. Something that the fair lacked in past years. Seminars and panel discussions will be led by specialists in specific gemstones, proper identification of gems and diamonds, jewelry design and international trade. Speakers include representatives of De Beers, Mikimoto and important gem labs. There is a special emphasis on sustainability and, in particular sustainability in the pearl trade.

Sustainability also takes center stage in the fair’s awards program, Sustainability Awards 2024. It focuses on environmental stewardship, equality promotion, inclusivity and innovation. The goal of the awards program is to recognize organizations whose sustainability projects generated tangible and measurable benefits that extend beyond commercial interests. The winners have already been named and they will be honored in a cocktail reception on September 18. In addition, the winners and finalists will participate in a “Sustainability Heroes Panel Series” at the fair, where they will share their personal insights on the subject.

One of the important drawing points for the fair is its location. Hong Kong is a dynamic and vibrant city with modern transportation systems and plenty of hotel space. The city’s duty-free status, low tax rate and its massive harbor makes it an important place to conduct business in an internationally connected industry.