The March fair is Hong Kong’s other big jewelry extravaganza

Visitors to the March 5–9 Hong Kong International Jewellery Show at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center have several advantages over those attending other local shows: the weather (lovely in March); a more manageable floor plan (you don’t have to trek to a pavilion at the airport to see exhibitors showing loose gems, like you would during Hong Kong’s September jewelry fair); and good timing (post–Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year).

Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the show anticipates more than 3,200 exhibitors this year. “In 2012, we had a record number of 3,118 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions,” says Toey Ma, HKTDC media relations executive of exhibitions. Last year, 38,000 buyers from 143 countries attended the fair, and more than half the exhibitors and shoppers hailed from overseas, reinforcing Hong Kong’s enviable reputation as a major business hub.

Highlights of this year’s show include the return of the Hong Kong Jewellery Design Competition to showcase Asian design talents and the biennial edition of the International Jewellery Design Excellence Award, which accepts entries from around the globe. Also look for themed halls—including the Hall of Fame for elite international brands and the one-of-a-kind focused Hall of Extraordinary.

Perhaps the most compelling reason to attend this fair is the ability to gain access to the growing wealth of the Chinese mainland. Of the 2012 show’s 15,000 Asian buyers, 7,600 were from the mainland.

Among the exhibitors angling for a piece of the action will be Roger Kuo, U.S. sales director for Los Angeles–based Nelson Jewellery USA, who’s bringing classic gemstone-set jewelry to appeal to Chinese buyers. “With the higher interest in precious stone jewelry in the Asian market, the sales of our sapphire, ruby, and emerald jewelry should be stronger than what we see during the national trade show in the United States,” Kuo says.