Mixed Results From Hong Kong Show, Say Exhibitors
September 15, 13
(IDEX Online) – As business wound up on the final day of the Hong Kong Jewellery Show at Asia-World Expo, reactions from diamantaires were mixed overall, with many smaller firms saying business had been poor and larger companies saying sales had been reasonable to strong. 
The first part of the fair at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), near Hong Kong airport, began on September 11 and ends today (Sunday), for exhibitors of diamonds, jewelry raw materials, equipment and packaging. Meanwhile, the show’s other venue, the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), hosts exhibitors of finished jewelry. That part of the fair kicked off on September 13 and finishes on 17.
“I would not say that business was booming, but it has been a nice show,” said Yoram Dvash, of Dvash Diamonds. “From 1-10, I would give it a mark of 7.5. Cushion and emerald cut diamonds have been very sellable, 1-3 carat stones in VSI to SI2. We brought a wide range of goods and customers appreciate that,” he commented.
Meanwhile, Aalek Mehta of Belgium’s Eurostar Diamond Traders NV, said the show had been somewhat slow, although certain sizes had done well, particularly 30-50 point stones at low price points in VS to SI clarity. “Everything in 30-50 points did well, while larger diamonds and star melee were much slower.
“We did not have high expectations coming into the show. Hong Kong is a hub for markets such as Thailand, Indonesia and India and those countries’ currencies have all taken a hit recently against the dollar, especially India. In general, the show met our not very high expectations.
However, at MID Diamonds, Rafael Kish, president of the Asia region for the firm, said: “This has been a medium show at best. There was good demand for fancy colors and bigger stones in lower qualities. We came here with mixed feelings because of the state of the markets globally. We always want to be optimistic but this was a middling show for us.”