Li Jian
In 2012, the International Palladium Association has gone through more than six years and has been working in the vast land of China for six full years. In the past six years, the association has aimed to continuously develop and standardize the palladium jewelry market and promote the sales of palladium jewelry, and is committed to establishing palladium jewelry as a fashionable and outstanding white precious metal jewelry.
When talking about the development of palladium jewelry, we must first analyze some of the international situations of palladium.
Looking at the (expected) world palladium supply and demand from 2009 to 2012 (Table 1), however, due to the impact of the overall environment, the demand for palladium in jewelry has There has been an overall decrease (Table 2). To this day, the impact of the 2008 world economic crisis has not been completely eliminated. The surge in gold prices and consumers' pursuit of investment value preservation have had a certain impact on white precious metals. As a new type of white precious metal jewelry, palladium cannot be Avoided being affected. As the largest consumer of palladium jewelry, China has a large base, resulting in significant changes in values. However, as consumers' jewelry consumption concepts become increasingly mature, factors such as fashion, personality, design, and cost-effectiveness will be more comprehensively considered when choosing jewelry. Palladium has perfect density and other physical properties, coupled with reasonable The price is precisely the white precious metal jewelry that can better meet the needs of consumers. Therefore, the demand for palladium in jewelry will also grow.
Table 1 World palladium supply and demand (tons)
(Data reference: Thomson Reuters GFMS)
Table 2 World palladium jewelry demand ( tons)
(Data reference: Thomson Reuters GFMS)
According to data from the latest "Platinum and Palladium Yearbook 2012" published by Thomson Reuters GFMS, 2011 was the year in a row for palladium. The total shortage has occurred for five years and is expected to increase, largely driven by growing demand for automobile exhaust purification catalysts. In 2011, demand for palladium for autocatalysts reached 172 tons, almost four times that of platinum. The main reason for this gap is the dominance of gasoline power systems in the light vehicle industry, and the Chinese industry generally prefers to use palladium as automotive catalysts. Its consumption increased by more than 5% in 2011, totaling 34 tons ( Figure 1).
Figure 1 Autocatalyst palladium demand in 2011
Source: Thomson Reuters GFMS
Figure 2 European palladium jewelry manufacturing demand
Source: Thomson Reuters GFMS
Investor support for palladium in recent years is likely to result in palladium and platinum prices getting closer over time. As for the application of palladium in the jewelry field, it is worth mentioning that European palladium manufacturing is growing at a strong momentum of 8%, which has doubled compared with ten years ago (Figure 2). Growth mainly comes from wedding rings, with palladium’s high cost performance having huge appeal. At the same time, the perfect density of palladium also magnifies the price difference with other jewelry of the same size. It can be seen that palladium jewelry has great potential.
As far as the work of the International Palladium Association is concerned, at present, the association puts considerable energy into the three markets of Japan, the United States and China.
In March 2012, the association established an office in Japan and officially launched the promotion of palladium jewelry in Japan. Now that the Japanese market has just begun, it is still in its infancy, so the association focuses its work on two major areas: first, providing production technical support and knowledge about palladium to the industry; second, popularizing palladium awareness among consumers. educate.
In fact, before the association entered Japan, there were already brand companies in Japan making and selling palladium jewelry, mainly wedding rings and matching rings. These two categories are also the mainstream of Japanese jewelry sales. The association has seen this situation and provides the latest information on palladium production to relevant companies so that they can further master palladium production technology. Another mainstream trend, fashionable chains, has also been officially launched in the jewelry market a few years ago, and its sales are gradually rising. It can be seen that the Japanese palladium market has huge development potential for both plain gold and inlaid jewelry.
As we all know, Japan’s jewelry market is very mature. After its glorious days, it has been in a relatively sluggish state for the past 20 years. Now that we see the emergence of palladium, many companies think it is a good opportunity.
They do see the characteristics of palladium, and because palladium is also a platinum group element, Japanese consumers have long been fond of this natural white precious metal element. The association is willing to develop well together with people of insight, and strive to bring palladium a breath of fresh air to the current tired market!
Of course, the United States is the headquarters of the association. In the past two years, the association has With the vigorous promotion of , various types of palladium jewelry can be seen in the market, including wedding rings and colored gemstone inlays, but there are very few plain palladium jewelry. This is also a feature of palladium jewelry in the United States. What's even more gratifying is that many famous jewelry designers in the United States also use palladium in different occasions, including jewelry design competitions. This also proves that the American industry will decide whether to use precious metals based on its characteristics and is very willing to innovate. . In recent years, it is not difficult to see palladium jewelry at some red carpet ceremonies.
Japanese Palladium Jewelry
American stars wear palladium jewelry on the red carpet
As we all know, China has long occupied the number one position in the consumption of palladium jewelry. . Since the association entered China in 2006, it has been popularizing palladium knowledge among consumers through various channels and in various forms. Now it has achieved certain results, and public awareness has been greatly improved. In addition to carrying out promotion work, the association also assumes the important task of supporting the entire industry, including manufacturing companies, wholesale companies, and retail companies. The association admits that compared with other precious metal industry associations, the number of production, wholesale and retail companies participating in our association in the past six years is not too many, but it has been growing continuously. The prospects of the Chinese market are very broad.
China is the birthplace of palladium jewelry in the new century. Palladium jewelry has laid a solid foundation for development in China, a very huge market, with its significant characteristics and advantages. Different from the US market, a major feature of palladium jewelry in China is that plain palladium products occupy a large share. At the same time, the unremitting efforts of Chinese manufacturing companies have also promoted the healthy development of palladium jewelry. Many Shenzhen companies have established cooperative relationships with the association and launched patented products that meet the needs of domestic consumers. Palladium inlaid products have also begun to Emerge. The collective rise in precious metal prices driven by the rapid growth of gold prices since 2009 has further highlighted the price advantage of palladium. The emergence of palladium jewelry allows consumers to enjoy the pleasure of white precious metal jewelry at a more reasonable price/performance ratio.
American Palladium Jewelry
If we talk about the problems faced by the development of palladium jewelry, it goes without saying that palladium, a very young precious metal jewelry, needs more vigorous promotion. Only by allowing the industry to better understand, recognize and actively participate in the research and development and production of palladium jewelry, and only by providing consumers with deeper, more detailed and more comprehensive education, can palladium jewelry develop more healthily. This is part of what the association has been doing for a long time.
It is precisely in order to better promote the more comprehensive development of palladium jewelry that the association has adopted cooperation with other brands (brand components) to carry out diversified and broader promotion. The development of palladium in the inlay field has become the top priority of the work in 2012, and will be one of the long-term tasks of the association in the future.
In the U.S. market, from its inception to the present, palladium-inlaid jewelry has always occupied a major position. Palladium-inlaid jewelry covers many categories, including wedding rings, palladium-inlaid diamonds, and fashion trends. Palladium inlaid with colored gems, etc., can be described as colorful. The association has cooperated with many well-known designers in the United States and launched many representative products. Since 2011, something that makes the association very happy has happened: China has made useful attempts in palladium-inlaid jewelry. Taking this opportunity, the association will also vigorously promote the application of palladium in inlaid jewelry.
Generally speaking, precious metal industry promotion agencies are mainly based on prime. In the past five years, in order to allow consumers to understand palladium more clearly and simply, the association continued to develop along this path. However, “it’s hard to give up on natural beauty.” Palladium’s properties such as moderate hardness and exquisite density are very suitable for making inlaid jewelry, and can help designers create larger, more fashionable, and more beautiful jewelry creations. In the third quarter of 2011, the association cooperated with Shenzhen Aidil Jewelry to launch a series of palladium and diamond-encrusted jewelry; in 2012, the association further expanded cooperation with Chinese partners in this field and joined hands with Shenzhen Jinjiahe Jewelry Co., Ltd. Promote Mengyaheng's "Heng·Lian" series of palladium and diamond-encrusted jewelry.
Once the palladium-inlaid jewelry was launched, it received a positive and enthusiastic response, which further confirmed that palladium has great potential in inlays.
The "Xinmei" series of jewelry recommended by the International Palladium Association in 2012
Now, the association has established an Ingredient Branding partnership with Swarovski gemstones and will Under the leadership of the association, palladium jewelry inlaid with Swarovski natural gemstones is promoted. This cooperation between the two parties is to make the silvery white sparkle of palladium better reflect the brilliant colors of gemstones, to deduce the beauty of fashion and elegance, to sublimate the rare and exquisite jewelry aesthetics, and to vividly interpret the "brilliant palladium" "Palladium is Color" concept.
"Heng·Lian" palladium and diamond series jewelry
"Brilliant Palladium"
Li Jian, Director of the International Palladium Association and Vice President of the Asia Pacific Region Mr. Zhan Yonghao, Vice President of Swarovski Gemstones Greater China Region
This cooperation between the Association and Swarovski Natural Gemstones is unprecedented. Previously, Swarovski, an international brand of natural gemstones, cooperated with enterprises rather than associations. Because the association is also a brand element, for Swarovski natural gemstones, this is the first time that two brand ingredients have been collaborated. We have been talking about this cooperation for a long time, and everyone feels that the right time is needed. At the Shanghai Jewelry Show in the second quarter of 2012, palladium-inlaid Swarovski natural gemstone jewelry, a collaboration between the association and Swarovski natural gemstones, was officially displayed.
At the same time, this cooperation has also attracted more knowledgeable people in the industry to join the palladium family. In China, the association has previously cooperated with jewelry manufacturers in Shenzhen. After hard work, three internationally renowned Hong Kong manufacturers have joined the association in the production of "Yicai Palladium". Jewelry companies in Hong Kong have very rich experience and have always been export-oriented. They have advanced concepts and sophisticated craftsmanship in design and production. At important jewelry industry events such as the Shanghai Jewelry Show, Shenzhen Jewelry Show, and Hong Kong Jewelry Show, the palladium-inlaid Swarovski jewelry from these three manufacturers has won attention and praise. Of course, the association is also in contact with many other Hong Kong manufacturers, and they are also very interested in palladium. I believe that as more companies join in the production of palladium jewelry, the types and varieties of palladium will become more colorful.
Facing the severe current situation of China's jewelry market, the association, like many people of insight, believes that more innovation is needed to stimulate further development of the market. Innovation not only refers to breakthroughs in design and workmanship, but also expansion in the field of materials will be an important aspect in promoting market prosperity. Therefore, the development prospects of palladium, a white precious metal jewelry material, are quite broad. In the days to come, the International Palladium Association will continue to promote the development of palladium in the jewelry industry. While developing palladium-inlaid jewelry, it will not neglect the field of plain palladium jewelry. The association also hopes that more knowledgeable people can work together with the association to create a brilliant future for palladium jewelry!
"Magellan's Rare" palladium diamond-encrusted jewelry series