A few pics from the June show in HK

[mochiko42]

Hi all, just sharing a few photos from the June show.

minous, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to ask around about paraiba prices. I had planned to go yesterday, but something came up. So I only had my lunch hour today and I spent almost all of the time at Prima's booth If I get a chance to go again this weekend I will try.

Other comments:
- this show is much smaller than the Mar or Sept one, but I did like the antique jewelry booths the best. There were some vintage jewelry vendors from Monaco who had some amazing vintage pieces from Cartier, Boucheron, VCA, etc.
- Prima Gems was here for the first time in HK! I talked to Jaimeen and some of his colleagues. I got a 2.5 ct Tunduru chrysoberyl at a good price - not super neon, but very bright pastel yellow (hardly any green) and quite clean. They plan to return for the fall shows, which is good news if they come for the Nov show, dk! They only had a few Mahenges that were neon pink and caught my eye, but they were marquise and pear shaped, so I passed. Maybe I'll see what they can bring in Sept.
- I overhead a lady at a booth selling sapphires that it was a very slow show.
- Overall pricing seemed about the same as at the Sep and Nov 2014 shows I went to, but foot traffic seemed to be slower. (I'm just guessing on the pricing based on what I saw, as I didn't really conduct any exhaustive market research )
- There was one Japanese company selling "recrystallized" gems (see photo of flyer below) -- is this a commmon practice? I know about reconstituted turquoise but this is the first time I've heard of "recrystallized" sapphire, alex, etc. Prices ranged from $30-$60+/ct.
- On the first day of the show, more than US$700,000 worth of gems was already stolen... this happens at every show. I can't believe people still walking around with US$100k+ in cash but I guess it's peanuts compared to a million dollar diamond. http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2015/06/26/diamonds-and-jewels-worth-hkd5-million-stolen-hong-kong-gem-fair-mainlanders-arrested


Photo dump:


Here is the chryso I bought from Prima:

 

[Lovinggems]

Mochiko those neon Paraibas captured my full attention.
I love your new Chrysoberyl.
Is theft common at all gem fairs or just HK?

 

[chrono]

Mochiko,
I appreciate the pictures and write up.

Mahenge spinels
Given the scarcity of top colour, if anyone wants one, the best option is to relax the shape requirement as you've noticed. I love pear shapes and marquises give a lot of finger coverage.

Chinese market
As per the Forecaster's latest newsletter, the Chinese buying has slowed down significantly since the money laundering crackdown. Pricing has either stabilized or is slightly downward. I'm not sure where the future lies but the demand has definitely less frantic.

Reconstituted CS
These were out a few years ago and were limited to expensive gem varieties such as ruby and emerald. I see that it now includes alexandrite and others!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Thank you for the eye candy, mochiko. And congrats on your purchase - can't wait to see what you have in store for it.

 

[tourma-guy]

All those paraibas tempting me. Dang I wish I was rich!

 

[Cognition]

what is this recrystallized stone? Did you get a chance to ask the price of rubies in your pic? all of them looks pretty great.

what a gorgeous Chrysoberyl

 

[chrono]

Crystallized = Reconstituted or Reconstructed
The gem is made from crushed bits and chips of the natural gemstone, then recrystallized hydrothermally (or melted/fused back together into a single large piece).

 

[Acinom]

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience and pics Mochiko. Congrats with your Chryso!! I love the soft yellow color. Very elegant!

Those Paraiba's and emerald cat's eyes are droolworthy!

 

[minousbijoux]

It would be such a pleasure to see so many cuprians/Paraibas in one spot! Thanks for all the pics and I completely understand about running out of time. So easy to do!

 

[dk168]

Unfortunately, I shan't be able to make the show in late November, and shall miss the Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale also, as I cannot be on holiday at the same time as another colleague, and she has already booked her flights/holiday whereas I have not, sorry!

I shall be in HK during the third week of Nov 2015 instead if you are still interested in meeting up.

In a way it is a good thing, as it means less CS shopping opportunities, and I may be able to save more money towards a new car and for my trip to LA for the Pearl Ruckus in July 2016.

DK

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Thanks for the pics of the show Mochiko. I feel bad that some of the vendors have been subject to theft. On a positive note, I love the cushion shape of your chrysoberyl and from your pic it looks very bright.

 

[mochiko42]

Glad that people enjoyed the photos I really wish PS could have a gathering at one of the HK shows in the future!

For those of you who attend the Tucson and Vegas shows, do you also see that many gemstones like true Brazilian Paraiba, Burma ruby, Ceylon sapphire etc like the HK show (most are 5 ct+ and come with GIA/GRS)? It seems many of the diamond and gem vendors at the HK show also attend Tucson.

dk, if I'm in town in late Nov, yes let's definitely have a CS playdate!!! None of my RL friends are into gemstones so it'd be nice to meet up with someone who understands the magpie obsession of collecting sparkly and colourful stones It's too bad you will miss the Nov show, I would have loved to have someone to go to the show with!! But you know, in some ways, the shows deter me from spending money, because when I'm confronted with an excess of choices, I tend to freeze and prefer not to choose (e.g. I do want to buy a Paraiba pretty badly, but at the HK show there are literally dozens of vendors each with dozens to hundreds of Paraiba on offer. I feel overwhelmed at having to approach each vendor individually and looking at possibly hundreds to thousands of stones, esp when I don't know the Brazilian vendors that well. Also, I hate having to make snap decisions, and I'm actually not a big shopping person, which is why I do like online shopping because I have time to evaluate my purchase rather than make up my mind on the spot with the pressure of a sales person right next to me. Stupid, I know.. )


Cognition, I wasn't really looking at rubies, these were just at a random booth I saw as I was making my way out of the hall. Actually there were sooo many rubies (Myanmar mostly but also Mozambique), I must have seen thousands as I did a quick walk around of the hall (actually there were a total of 18 halls incl diamonds, pearls, jewelry, etc, I only went to the 2 halls with colored gems from Asia and everywhere else) - many of them were labelled as pigeon blood but honestly to me, even with the artificially-pumped-up lighting, they just looked like rhodolite garnets I did see a few AMAZING rubies on display though. Mostly at the European booths.

LisaRN, thanks. I've been looking for another chryso AND a cushion-shaped CS for a while, so it was nice to be able to cross both off my list at the same time. Unfortunately the thefts at the HK shows seem to be a regular occurrence due to the porous border with China, even with cameras and armed security guards everywhere (especially in the Antwerp/Belgian & Israeli diamond pavilions!). I'm not sure about thefts at the US shows.

Some other thoughts that I didn't have time to add earlier:

- walked by Nomads (they had a large booth), they had some very nicely cut and colored gems. They had a gorgeous lavender spinel, but I did not dare to stop and ask the price.
- talked briefly with a friendly vendor, Mark H Smith from Thai Lanka Trading who was very approachable and helpful even when I admitted I was only a private collector and not in the trade. He had a good selection of gems on display but nothing that I was looking for right now. I will check out his booth again when he next comes in Sept. He had some very nice zircon, sphene, spinel, etc. at very reasonable price at the show (not sure about his regular non-trade-show pricing) http://www.thailanka.com/our-rare-gemstones/
- another vendor that I walked by but did not stop to talk with was Vitalit gems of Bangkok. They had some beautiful precision cut stones that come with GRS report. https://www.facebook.com/vitalitfinegems

 

[dk168]

I may not be going to the show, however, it is unlikely for me to come home empty-handed without any jewellery purchases.

I would dearly love to buy a diamond bracelet of some sort, and some earrings too, and I shall have fun window shopping for them.

DK

 

[Siameseroo]

Thanks for the lovely photos - the paraibas look scrumptious!

Also, beautiful chryso!

 

[T L]

Thanks for the pics!

Any moonstone dealers?

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks for the pics!

Any moonstone dealers?

Hi TL, there were several booths that sold moonstone, but I didn't see any decent stones in large sizes (mostly smaller sub 5ct size). Didn't check the pricing as I ran out of time. The selection didn't seem as good as the Sept or Nov shows.

 

[mochiko42]

I may not be going to the show, however, it is unlikely for me to come home empty-handed without any jewellery purchases.

I would dearly love to buy a diamond bracelet of some sort, and some earrings too, and I shall have fun window shopping for them.

DK

Ooooh... Bracelet sounds so nice. Do you have a HK jeweler that you prefer? The chainstore prices are overly inflated I think. I sometimes like to go to Tayma in Princes building to gawk at her Paraiba and other colored stones jewelry, but I can't afford to buy there since the price is at least partly paying for the insane rent in Central.

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks for the lovely photos - the paraibas look scrumptious!

Also, beautiful chryso!

Thanks ricezo. One of these days I must try to seriously save up for a Paraiba, but now I'm enjoying the eye candy. Are there any big gem shows where you are?

 

[dk168]

I may not be going to the show, however, it is unlikely for me to come home empty-handed without any jewellery purchases.

I would dearly love to buy a diamond bracelet of some sort, and some earrings too, and I shall have fun window shopping for them.

DK

Ooooh... Bracelet sounds so nice. Do you have a HK jeweler that you prefer? The chainstore prices are overly inflated I think. I sometimes like to go to Tayma in Princes building to gawk at her Paraiba and other colored stones jewelry, but I can't afford to buy there since the price is at least partly paying for the insane rent in Central.

No, I just window-shop as much as I can when I am there.

I like to venture into the sidestreets off the big street markets in HK and Kowloon, as the prices appear to be more reasonable.

I may try and haggle a bit more, however, I am not very good at it.

I am likely to pop over the boarder to go to the Mainland with my mum, to eat and shop etc... I should still have time to wander around on my own and meet up with you, say on Monday or Tuesday.

DK

 

[mochiko42]

I may not be going to the show, however, it is unlikely for me to come home empty-handed without any jewellery purchases.

I would dearly love to buy a diamond bracelet of some sort, and some earrings too, and I shall have fun window shopping for them.

DK

Ooooh... Bracelet sounds so nice. Do you have a HK jeweler that you prefer? The chainstore prices are overly inflated I think. I sometimes like to go to Tayma in Princes building to gawk at her Paraiba and other colored stones jewelry, but I can't afford to buy there since the price is at least partly paying for the insane rent in Central.

No, I just window-shop as much as I can when I am there.

I like to venture into the sidestreets off the big street markets in HK and Kowloon, as the prices appear to be more reasonable.

I may try and haggle a bit more, however, I am not very good at it.

I am likely to pop over the boarder to go to the Mainland with my mum, to eat and shop etc... I should still have time to wander around on my own and meet up with you, say on Monday or Tuesday.

DK

I think my mum gets her jewelry done at a small shop on Shanghai Street in Jordan/Yaumatei, but it's mostly your standard diamonds, jade and 24k yellow gold pieces.

I used to go for yumcha and shopping/tailor-made dresses every other weekend in Lowu but haven't really gone to Shenzhen much in the past 7 years because the exchange rate is not favorable anymore since the RMB went up, so it's more expensive in China than Hong Kong for eating and shopping.

Yeah I would love to meet up (you can find my email/contact on LT)! Fingers crossed that I'm still in town (my husband just got a job offer in Japan so we're contemplating a major life change at the moment, it's a bit overwhelming as I haven't moved countries for several years now and that was before marriage and cats).

 

[Siameseroo]

I may not be going to the show, however, it is unlikely for me to come home empty-handed without any jewellery purchases.

I would dearly love to buy a diamond bracelet of some sort, and some earrings too, and I shall have fun window shopping for them.

DK

Ooooh... Bracelet sounds so nice. Do you have a HK jeweler that you prefer? The chainstore prices are overly inflated I think. I sometimes like to go to Tayma in Princes building to gawk at her Paraiba and other colored stones jewelry, but I can't afford to buy there since the price is at least partly paying for the insane rent in Central.

No, I just window-shop as much as I can when I am there.

I like to venture into the sidestreets off the big street markets in HK and Kowloon, as the prices appear to be more reasonable.

I may try and haggle a bit more, however, I am not very good at it.

I am likely to pop over the boarder to go to the Mainland with my mum, to eat and shop etc... I should still have time to wander around on my own and meet up with you, say on Monday or Tuesday.

DK

I think my mum gets her jewelry done at a small shop on Shanghai Street in Jordan/Yaumatei, but it's mostly your standard diamonds, jade and 24k yellow gold pieces.

I used to go for yumcha and shopping/tailor-made dresses every other weekend in Lowu but haven't really gone to Shenzhen much in the past 7 years because the exchange rate is not favorable anymore since the RMB went up, so it's more expensive in China than Hong Kong for eating and shopping.

Yeah I would love to meet up (you can find my email/contact on LT)! Fingers crossed that I'm still in town (my husband just got a job offer in Japan so we're contemplating a major life change at the moment, it's a bit overwhelming as I haven't moved countries for several years now and that was before marriage and cats).

How exciting Mochiko! Good luck with your decision!

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks ricezo We will see!

Separately, I got an update from the gem show organizers. Here are the final stats on the June HK show, in case anyone was interested:

• 22382 unique visitors (each visitor is only counted once, during the entire fair period)
• 37078 visits including re-visits (visitors counted once per day of attendance)
The top ten visiting countries and regions are China, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, USA, Singapore and Australia.

• The June Fair attracts over 2,200 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions.

• The June Fair features 17 participating group pavilions showcasing their respective product specialties in the June Fair. Among the pavilions are Australia, Antwerp, Brazil, mainland China, Colombia, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan region, Thailand, Turkey, the United States and the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA).

• The Diamond Pavilion is again one of the largest of its kind in the world, gathering more than 480 diamond exhibitors.

• Located at AsiaWorld-Expo, Mineral & Gem Asia (6MG) will run until 30 June. The fair showcases one-of-a-kind mineral specimens as well as precious rough and polished gemstones, and invaluable fossils. Visitors at June Fair can also enjoy participating in 6MG, giving them two marketplaces to explore in one trip.

 

[dk168]

mochiko42,

The good thing about going to HK to meet up with my mum is that I only have to pay for the plane tickets, and I get pampered very well when I am there.

Good luck with Japan, whatever you decide.

DK