China Gem Market Info & Jewelry Industry - 2023

The Covid-19 had passed, China reopen to worldwide travelers, which is the No.2 jewelry buyer when the No.1 is the USA. And China is the No.1 jewelry manufacturing country. In traditional idea, Chinese people only like gold, jade and pearl jewels. Since early 1990s, DeBeers started their marketing in China, success to explore the diamond market. For the colored gem jewelries, Chinese start to love these semi-precious gems early than 2010.

1. Consumption Market Trend: Most of jewel consumers are in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou. Those cities are the top cities in China which have great wealth and have large volume population with higher education. The estimation in 2017 is that 50% of colored stone jewelries are bought by the 5 cities.

2. Jewel Manufacturing Center: there are several cities where there are cutting, carving and polishing factories.
Guangzhou: the manufacturing center of high end jewelries with gem setting in China, which has over 1,000 gem cutting workshops/factories, and thousands of wholesalers/traders, over 500 jewelry manufacturers(high end jewels, not fashion jewelry).
Shenzhen: most professional in gold and diamond jewels which has many big brands, it is the jewelry trade and manufacturing center in China.
Ketang: a town in Shanwei city, has a lot of cutting and engraving factories, it is the bead cutting and polish center of cheap gemstones(low quality garnet, low quality aquamarine, etc...) and crystal quartz. Also, there is a large trade market for colored stone beads and necklace in Ketang, It is approx 300km away from Guangzhou.
Donghai: a county in Jiangsu province, which is professional in crystal quartz jewelries and rough crystal quartz in China.
Sihui: a small city in Zhaoqing which is 100 km away from Guangzhou, professional in low and medium quality Jadeite processing and trade.
Pingzhou: a small town which is in Foshan, it is the largest low and medium quality Jadeite cutting and trade center in China.
Shifoshi is a small town in Nanyang city, Henan province, it is the largest nephrite cutting, engraving and trade center in China.
Yangmei: the largest center of high end Fei Cui(Jadeite) cutting and trade center in China, It is in Jieyang city, which is approx 400km away from Guangzhou.
Tengchong and Ruili: they are border cities between Yunnan province and Burma(Myanmar), many Burmese gem dealers bring their raw Jadeite and colored stones(Spinel and Ruby) to cut and trade in these cities.

3. Rough and faceted gemstone trade channel: In the traditional channel, Chinese buyers purchased semi-precious and precious gems from Hong Kong trade companies or Hong Kong Jewelry Show or Thailand gemstone market(Chanthaburi & Bangkok). In recent years, many Chinese buyers fly to Africa, Russia, Africa to buy rough gemstone directly. Also, a lof of Indian, Sri lankan middle men come to Guangzhou to sell loose stones, and Brazilian men set up trade company to sell rough gems in China.

4. Jewelry Trade Marketplace in China: Guangzhou is the largest trade center for gemstone and jewels, there are 3 marketplaces: Liwan Plaza, Blue Port(LanGang) and Daluo market. Shenzhen has a gold and diamond jewelry marketplace, Shuibei jewelry market. Donghai is another market in quartz and pearl jewelries in North China. Yangmei, Sihui and Ruili have jade jewelries trade market, Yangmei is the market for top quality jade.

5. Gemstone market demand(commercial gemstones) in China: from 2008 to 2013, Chinese gems businessmen bought a lot of gemstones from all over the world, and drove the price went up fast. Since 2014, Chinese buyers can't buy any longer. Too many gems in stock which is low or medium quality, so the global gem price went down quickly. The market demand can't recover after 2014. The real situation of China gems market is that, for most of gemstones, low and medium quality gems are very very difficult to sell out here, include rough and polished one. Only high quality one with good price can be sold out in China. For low or medium grade gems, China is still a tough market although I can help you to meet a lot of gem buyers in China easily.

Gemstones to China: Alexandrite, Amethyst, Ametrine, Ammolite, Apatite, Aquamarine(Santa Maria), Bloodstone, Cassiterite, Charoite, Chrome Diopside, Citrine, Mediterranean Red Coral , Emerald, Fanta Spessartine, Green Garnets(Demantoid, Mali Garnet), Rainbow Garnet(Andradite), Heliodor, Jade, Jadeite(Fei Cui), Larimar, Malachite, Moonstone, Morganite, Fire Opal, Peridot, Prehnite, Rhodolite Garnet, Ruby, Sapphire(Royal Blue, Cornflower Blue), Sphene, Hot Pink Spinel, Sugilite, Tanzanite, White Topaz, Tourmaline(Paraiba, Rubellite), Tanzanian Tsavorite, American Turquoise, Rare & Precious Gems from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Russia, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascer and Worldwide Miners and Dealers.