Diamonds are the undisputed favourite among gemstones used in jewellery watches, but the trend favouring the use of coloured gemstones – whether precious or semiprecious – is strengthening, industry insiders observed.
"Diamonds are still the most sought-after stones among jewellery watchmakers. The 'big three' gemstones – rubies, sapphires and emeralds – rank after diamonds, followed by semiprecious gemstones including topaz, amethyst, peridot, garnet and black onyx," says Winna Law, marketing manager of Trendy Diamond (HK) Ltd, a wholesaler of natural diamonds and coloured gemstones based in Hong Kong.
Nilesh Patel, sales manager of Abee Impex, shares the observation but he noted that the demand for diamond in different markets varies significantly. "We have buyers from the United States, Europe and Asia, but tastes and preferences of consumers vary from country to country. US buyers opt for diamonds in SI to VVS clarities and from K to P colours; European customers desire diamonds of higher quality: from SI to VVS clarities and from H colour and up; Asian buyers prefer medium-quality diamonds in SI clarity and H colour," he said.
At Hong Kong-based watch brand Voila, jewellery watches set with diamonds account for 80 percent of the company’s product offerings, while those with coloured ...
