| The Bangkok Gems and Jewellery show takes | | | | Trends we saw at the show: |
| place in March and September each year and is | | | | There were plenty of new designs but most |
| one of the most important trade showcases for | | | | exhibitors were sticking to tried and tested design |
| wholesale silver jewellery in the world. Many truly | | | | concepts so we were unable to identify a new |
| first class exhibitors exhibit their latest designs | | | | design or fashion trend. |
| including silver rings, pendants, earrings, bangles | | | | Many new designs were plain silver jewellery |
| and bracelets. So what were the designs trends | | | | especially plain silver rings with Cubic Zirconia |
| at the September 2009 event? | | | | especially clear CZ stones and to some extent |
| Virtually all exhibitors are really focused on | | | | black CZ stones which remain popular with |
| supplying large volume buyers that must place | | | | Western buyers. |
| orders for over 50 to 100 plus pieces per design. | | | | The move to light weight silver jewelery has |
| Therefore it is not really such a good show for | | | | continued with more lightweight jewellery designs. |
| smaller retailers looking to buy just a few items | | | | We saw very few new heavy or chunky types |
| of a particular design. There were some exhibitors | | | | of necklaces and bracelets. |
| offering wholesale silver rings, pendants, earrings | | | | Laser or burnished finish plain silver jewellery have |
| and other jewellery from stock but we found | | | | increased in popularity over the past 12 months. |
| very little that was new or exciting. And in fact | | | | There has been a fall in the numbers of both new |
| we found many such exhibitors were using the | | | | and existing designs using Coral, Mother of Pearl |
| show as a vehicle to sell old stock. | | | | and other types of shells. |
| Every year wholesale silver jewellery seems to | | | | Wholesale silver jewellery with Cubic Zirconia, |
| take up a larger proportion of the floor space at | | | | Black Onyx, Spinel, Garnet, Emeralds, Amethyst |
| the show. However, this was the forth show in a | | | | and Marcasite remain good sellers. |
| row where it was very obvious that visitor | | | | As reported in the trade press last year, sales of |
| numbers had fallen on previous years and perhaps | | | | silver rings held up well at the Hong Kong |
| not surprisingly many exhibitors that we spoke to | | | | Jewellery trade show and that seems to have |
| were resigned to poor sales with many not | | | | continued through to the Bangkok show, especially |
| expecting significant improvement until the 2nd | | | | in the under US$25.00 per item price point. |
| half of 2010. | | | | |