Editor’s Note
This article explores the rising trend of gemstone collecting among young adults, who are forming online communities to share and showcase their finds. It highlights how social media is fueling this hobby, turning it into a vibrant digital subculture.
[E-Daily Reporter Kim Hye-sun] Have you heard of the ‘raw gemstone community’? It’s a term frequently used on the social networking service (SNS) Twitter, meaning ‘raw gemstone (gem) accounts’. They mainly post content showing off beautiful gemstones.
However, the number of mentions of the ‘raw gemstone community’ on Twitter has been increasing over the past year. According to the social data analysis site ‘SomeTrend’, the keyword ‘raw gemstone community’ mentioned on Twitter in the recent month (August 23 – September 22) increased by 241.56% compared to the same period last year.
The gemstones flaunted in the raw gemstone community are mainly ‘colored gemstones’. Rather than high-priced gems like diamonds, they primarily collect mid-to-low-priced gemstones such as tanzanite, ruby, sapphire, and opal. Originally, the colored gemstone market in South Korea was not very large, but in recent years, based on the purchasing power of young people, the colored gemstone market has become more active.
In fact, according to an analysis of the ‘Export and Import Trade Statistics Information’ from the Korea Customs Service by E-Daily’s SnapTime, the import volume of ‘precious stones, semi-precious stones’, which fall under colored gemstones, reached 252.1 tons last year, a 216.3% increase compared to 2020. Last year’s import value was $4.002 million (approximately 5.6 billion KRW), significantly higher than the previous year ($3.577 million).
Not only simple gemstones but also the consumption index of people in their 20s in the jewelry market has increased. According to the ‘General Jewelry Consumer Sentiment Index’ conducted by the Wolgok Jewelry Industry Research Institute in collaboration with Gallup Korea, the index for changes in purchase volume over the past year among those in their 20s was 110%, ranking first among all age groups. (A jewelry consumer sentiment index above 102% is considered an ‘increase’.) The index for all ages was 103%.
Those who responded that they would ‘purchase’ general jewelry within the next year also scored the highest among the 20s age group. On a scale of 100 points for jewelry purchase intention, the 20s scored 55.5 points, exceeding the majority, followed by those in their 30s with 43.2 points and those in their 40s with 36.5 points.
Why are young people attracted to gemstones? Won Hyun-sung, Director of the Jewelry Industry Research Institute, points to ‘meaning-out (value-based consumption)’, a consumption trend of the MZ generation.
Recently, men are also opening their eyes to jewelry. Actor Lee Jung-jae recently appeared wearing a large pearl necklace with a pink jacket, becoming a hot topic. Director Won said, “Pearls have always been the most feminine jewelry since ancient times, but now, with the rise of genderless fashion, they have become jewelry that men also actively wear.”
