Colored gemstones, also known as colored gemstones, the most common types include rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other types. As the Spring Festival approaches, colored gemstones have also ushered in the peak sales season, and the prices of some high-quality, large-carat precious colored gemstones have doubled compared to the same period last year. Why are the prices of colored gemstones soaring?
Panyu District, Guangzhou City is the largest production and processing base for colored gemstones in China. The person in charge of a local colored gemstone processing company told reporters that from the beginning of 2023 to now, market demand has been very strong, especially since January this year, the factory has received many pre-holiday orders. The biggest problem with stocking orders now is insufficient production capacity.
Liu Wenhui, the person in charge of a loose colored gem stone production company in Guangzhou, Guangdong: The demand for domestic live broadcast rooms accounts for 70% of the production capacity. During this period, factories and live broadcast rooms are stocking up. The price of sapphire (loose stone) has the largest increase. Compared with 2022, there will be an increase of 30% to 50% in 2023. The current price remains high.
Shenzhen Shuibei is the largest gold and jewelry trading center in China. At a colored gemstone wholesale market in Shuibei, the reporter saw Liu Qing who came to purchase loose colored gemstones. She told the reporter that because the price of colored gemstones remained high, the difficulty of purchasing had increased significantly.
Liu Qing, a buyer of colored gemstones in Shenzhen, Guangdong: The previous prices are no longer available. Compared with the same period last year, the price of high-quality small-carat rubies (loose stones) has increased by about 30%. The average price of high-quality unfired sapphire (loose stone) used to be about 10,000 yuan per carat, but now it is about more than 20,000 yuan, and it is not easy to find.
Around the Spring Festival is the peak sales season for gold jewelry. The reporter visited many jewelry stores in Shenzhen and learned that from January this year to the present, the sales of colorful jewelry in the stores have increased by about 50%.
Li Zhixiang, marketing director of the Guangdong Jewelry and Jade Trading Center: 25% of the raw materials for colored gemstones in Guangdong Province are imported through customs clearance from the Guangdong Jewelry and Jade Trading Center. In the past two to three years, the international price of colored gemstone raw materials, especially the price of precious gemstones, has doubled. As the subsequent supply chain stabilizes, we must look at the rising process rationally.
Colorful jewelry consumption is becoming more youthful and fashionable designs are popular
During the visit, the reporter learned that compared with the past, young people are becoming a new force in the consumption of colored gemstones and jewelry. In particular, some colorful jewelry with fashionable styles and stronger design are favored by young consumers.
Liang Yuanlu used to be a jewelry designer, but in recent years she changed her career to become an online anchor. She told reporters that as the price of colored gemstones continues to rise, colored gemstone jewelry of more than one carat can easily cost tens of thousands of yuan. Therefore, many jewelry companies are integrating colored gemstones within one carat with various elements such as pearls and 18K gold. This makes colorful jewelry more attractive in design and more cost-effective, attracting many young consumers.
Liang Yuanlu, a live broadcast anchor of a jewelry company in Shenzhen, Guangdong: We will use some broken diamonds, pearls, and 18K gold to combine them. Like this (gemstone) score (colored gemstone jewelry), which is 50 to 60 points, the unit price is 2,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan, so young people are very acceptable. They also like designs like this very much. Now 60% to 70% of the people in our live broadcast room are young women aged 20 to 35.
During the visit, the reporter learned that the younger generation has gradually become the new driving force for consumption in the jewelry market. Jewelry companies have keenly captured the preferences of young consumers. Not only are their jewelry designs closer to young people, but they also pay more attention to fashion sense in color matching.