Editor’s Note
The strong international demand for freshwater pearls from Zhuji, as highlighted at the recent Hong Kong jewellery fair, underscores the growing global appreciation for specialized regional products and the vital role of such trade exhibitions in connecting suppliers with worldwide buyers.
“This year, the pearl pavilion has been the most popular at the exhibition. Zhuji’s freshwater pearls are gaining increasing recognition, attracting many international clients, and we have secured numerous orders over the past few days,” said He Yanshan, a representative from a Zhuji pearl enterprise, during a phone interview on April 4th. She was participating in the 11th Hong Kong International Jewellery & Gem Fair (referred to as the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show). Due to better-than-expected sales, she planned to return to Zhuji earlier than scheduled.
He Yanshan indicated that overseas demand for freshwater pearls has increased compared to last year, with many purchasing agents praising the quality of Zhuji pearls.
Similarly, Fu Anqi, another Zhuji pearl enterprise representative at the Hong Kong show, said during a continuous interview,
with buyers hailing from the UK, Japan, Thailand, Germany, and other countries.
Zhuji holds the title of “China’s Pearl Capital,” boasting over 9,000 market entities across various pearl markets. Its pearl sales account for 80% of China’s total and 70% of the global market. The scale of the pearl industry market has exceeded 50 billion yuan (RMB). Shanxiahu Town, with a registered population of over 20,000, is known as the “world’s largest freshwater pearl distribution center,” with about 70% of its residents engaged in the pearl industry. The East China International Jewelry City in the town is China’s largest pearl trading market and serves as the “barometer” for the global freshwater pearl market.
At the East China International Jewelry City, “livestreaming rooms” have become a standard feature for many stalls and stores. With just a smartphone and a large screen, hosts can start broadcasting. Data shows that during peak times, there are nearly 7,000 pearl-related livestreams daily in the area, with sales during the recent Spring Festival period exceeding 1.3 billion yuan.
While leveraging livestreaming to open up the domestic market, Zhuji pearls are also making friends worldwide. For example, on TikTok, foreign hosts from Zhuji’s e-commerce companies are enthusiastically livestreaming, introducing Zhuji’s freshwater pearl products to overseas audiences. Meanwhile, the local government organizes relevant enterprises and merchants to participate in overseas exhibitions to explore markets. Recently, the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show has become a hot topic here, as over 250 local pearl enterprises brought their “star products” to the event, introducing high-quality pearl products to global buyers.
Qiu Longyan, Deputy General Manager of Zhuji East China International Jewelry City Co., Ltd., stated in an interview with China News Service,
He added,
Wang Yijian, the head of Shanxiahu Town, stated that this year’s “overseas expansion plan” starts from Hong Kong and will proceed to Japan, Singapore, Thailand, France, Italy, and other places. The 2025 Shanxiahu World Pearl Conference is scheduled to be held from May 20th to 22nd, and global merchants will be invited at that time.