HKJMA Hong Kong International Jewelry Manufacturers' Show

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

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Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Karat (gold purity)

Karat with a 'K' describes gold fineness in 24ths: 24K is 99.9% fine gold, 18K is 75% gold alloyed with copper, silver, zinc or palladium, 14K is 58.5% and 9K is 37.5%. Karat is not the same as carat (weight), a distinction that matters when reading Hong Kong supplier price sheets, which usually quote the alloy (for example 18K/750 or 14K/585) alongside a per-gram gold rate.

2

Carat (weight)

The unit of mass for gemstones and pearls: one carat equals 200 milligrams, and a 'point' is one hundredth of a carat. Diamonds above 1.00 ct command a steep premium per carat, so buyers at the fair compare price-per-carat at fixed grades rather than headline totals, and check whether a quotation is per stone or per carat total weight (ctw) across a piece.

3

The 4Cs

Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight, the standard grading framework for polished diamonds. Colour runs from D (colourless) to Z; clarity runs from Flawless to Included (I1-I3); cut grades range from Excellent to Poor. Trade buyers use 4C combinations as shorthand in negotiation, for example 'G/VS2 triple-Ex', and cross-check the printed grade against the stone before settling terms.

4

Grading report (GIA, IGI, HRD, NGTC)

An independent laboratory document recording a stone's measured weight, colour, clarity, proportions, polish, symmetry, fluorescence and, for melee above certain thresholds, laser inscription. Laboratories differ in market acceptance by region, so confirm which lab certificate a supplier's stock carries before assuming a price is comparable with another parcel at the same nominal grade.

5

Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)

The international rough-diamond trade control that requires shipments of rough diamonds to travel with a government-issued Kimberley Process certificate confirming they are conflict-free. Rough goods moving through Hong Kong dealers, and the customs paperwork that accompanies them, are normally expected to carry KPCS documentation.

6

Laboratory-grown diamond (LGD)

A diamond grown in a factory by CVD (chemical vapour deposition) or HPHT (high pressure, high temperature) rather than mined. LGDs have the same chemical and optical properties as natural diamonds and are graded by the same laboratories, but trade at a steep discount to natural goods. Price sheets, invoices and disclosure wording should state origin explicitly to avoid mixing LGD and natural parcels.

7

Melee

Small polished diamonds, typically under 0.20 ct each and often under 0.005 ct, sold by the parcel or sieve size rather than individually. Melee pricing is quoted per carat with a size range and a quality make (for example 'single cut, G-H, VS'), and dealers at Hong Kong fairs often hold stock in pre-graded sealed packets.

8

Parcel / lot

A group of stones sold as one unit, usually matched by size and quality. Parcel buyers inspect a sample and buy on 'sight unseen' terms with a stated mix, so the negotiation covers the make, the percentage of off-make stones and whether the seller allows a return allowance for rejected goods.

9

Memo (memorandum) trade

A consignment arrangement in which goods are left with a buyer or dealer for inspection and possible sale, without immediate payment, against a signed memorandum recording stone-by-stone details. Memo terms at jewellery fairs usually specify a return date, an insurance obligation and a price at which the memo converts to an invoice.

10

Setting types: prong, bezel, pavé, channel, tension

The metalwork that holds a stone. Prong (claw) settings expose the stone to light and dominate solitaire rings; bezel settings wrap the girdle for protection; pavé sets small stones across a surface with minimal visible metal; channel settings trap stones between two rails; tension settings hold a stone by compressed metal pressure. Buyers assess setting quality by the evenness of the claws, the absence of snag points and the finish beneath the stone.

11

Micro-pavé and CAD-set pavé

Very small stones set under magnification, historically by hand and now increasingly from CAD-designed layouts with cast or CNC-milled seats. On the show floor, inspect for consistent spacing between stones, the amount of metal beads, and whether the underside of the setting is hollowed without weakening the piece.

12

Lost-wax casting

The dominant production route for gold and platinum jewellery: a wax or 3D-printed resin model is invested in plaster, burned out and filled with molten metal. Casting quality shows in porosity, shrinkage and the sharpness of fine detail, which is why buyers often ask whether a sample is hand-finished after casting or sold as-cast.

13

CAD/CAM and 3D-printed masters

Computer-aided design files and computer-aided manufacturing, typically resin 3D printing plus casting or CNC milling. Hong Kong manufacturers use CAD to shorten sampling cycles and to offer customisation, so a common fair conversation is the cost and lead time of a custom CAD sample versus a stocked design.

14

Rhodium plating and vermeil

Rhodium plating is a thin white-metal electroplate applied over white gold or silver to brighten colour and reduce tarnish; it wears over time and is re-plated during servicing. Vermeil is sterling silver with a heavy gold plate (commonly 2.5 microns and at least 10K). Both affect the stated precious-metal content on an invoice, so ask what the base metal is.

15

Hallmark and assay office

An official stamp recording precious-metal fineness, applied by an assay office or an authorised maker's mark system. Hong Kong has its own hallmarking regime run by the Hong Kong Assay Office for gold and platinum, and export orders to the EU or UK may need local assay marks in the destination market as well.

16

Fei Cui (jadeite jade)

The trade term, increasingly used internationally, for the pyroxene jade that Chinese buyers call fei cui and that the market historically called jadeite. Quality is judged by colour saturation and evenness, transparency ('water'), texture and the absence of cracks. 'Type A' means natural colour with no bleaching or polymer impregnation; 'Type B' is acid-treated and resin-filled, and 'Type C' is dyed. Insist on a laboratory report naming the type.

17

Nacre, akoya, South Sea and Tahitian pearls

Nacre is the calcium-carbonate layer a mollusc deposits around a nucleus; its thickness drives lustre and durability. Akoya pearls are small, round and mostly Japanese; South Sea pearls are large and grown in Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines; Tahitian pearls come from French Polynesia and span dark body colours. Pearl grading adds lustre, surface, shape and matching to the usual weight measures.

18

Semi-precious and hard-stone categories

Coloured stones outside diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald, for example amethyst, citrine, topaz, garnet, peridot, tourmaline, spinel and quartz. Suppliers quote by calibrated size and colour grade, and buyers check whether goods are natural, heated, diffusion-treated or glass-filled, since treatment disclosure is a standard pre-shipment question.

19

Refractive index and loupe

The refractive index is the measured bending of light through a stone and is a primary identification tool; a 10x jeweller's loupe is the standard hand instrument for spotting inclusions, doublets and laser inscriptions. Trade buyers routinely carry both and expect a supplier to allow loupe inspection before a deal is closed.

20

Origin determination

A laboratory opinion on where a coloured stone or diamond formed, based on trace elements and inclusions. Origin can shift price materially for ruby, sapphire, emerald and jadeite, so offers at the fair may be quoted with or without an origin report, and the price difference should be explicit.

21

Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) certification

A supply-chain certification covering responsible sourcing, human rights, labour standards and environmental practice for companies in the jewellery and watch trade. Many European and North American buying groups ask for RJC membership or an equivalent chain-of-custody scheme before onboarding a new supplier.

22

Fairmined and Fairtrade gold

Certification schemes for artisanal and small-scale mined gold, carrying social and environmental requirements plus a premium paid to the mining organisation. Stock carrying these marks is usually quoted at a premium to the London reference price and is typically requested by branded jewellery customers with published sourcing policies.

23

Reference price and gold fix

The daily benchmark price for gold, silver and platinum against which fabricated jewellery is quoted, normally expressed in US dollars per troy ounce before conversion to a per-gram local price. Because quotes at a trade fair can be valid only for a short window, confirm whether an offer is 'subject to fix' or fixed on the day of the order.

24

Findings and components

The functional parts of a piece beyond the decorative body: clasps, catches, posts, earring backs, bails, jump rings, hinges, screws and chain. Findings are frequently bought as separate lines by workshops, and tolerances on clasps and earring posts matter for both wearer safety and compliance testing.

25

925 sterling silver

An alloy containing 92.5% silver, usually with copper for hardness, marked 925 or 'sterling'. Bright-dip finishing and anti-tarnish plating are common, and buyers check for the depth of plating since it determines how long a silver line survives retail wear before re-polishing.

26

PT950 platinum and palladium

PT950 is 95% platinum alloyed usually with ruthenium or iridium; palladium is a lighter, lower-density platinum-group alternative often used at 950 fineness. Platinum is denser and heavier in the hand, needs different solders and polishing compounds, and repair capacity for platinum is a practical question for buyers placing repeat orders.

27

Electroforming

A production method where metal is electrodeposited onto a mandrel or wax form, creating large, hollow, lightweight pieces with fine detail. Electroformed gold jewellery is popular for statement lines and requires clear disclosure of wall thickness so buyers can price the actual gold content.

28

OEM, ODM and MOQ

OEM is manufacturing to a buyer's own design and specification, ODM is supplying a manufacturer's existing design for a buyer's brand, and MOQ is the minimum order quantity per style, size or metal. Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta factories at the fair usually quote different MOQs for stock designs, new CAD styles and full custom programmes.

29

Incoterms and ATA Carnet

Incoterms such as EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP set who pays freight, insurance and duties between seller and buyer. An ATA Carnet is a temporary admission document that lets samples cross borders duty-free for exhibition and return, and exhibitors bringing high-value stock into Hong Kong often travel with one.