August 19, 2025, Luxe.CO hosted the seminar “Opportunities and Challenges for Chinese Gold Jewelry Brands“ at Shi Wangfu, WF Central, Beijing.
At the event, Elisa Wang, Senior Vice President of Luxe.CO and Director of Luxe.CO Intelligence presented an in-depth analysis of the exclusive research report “2025 China Gold Jewelry Brand Insights.” Luxe.CO and Orange Bay Education founder Alicia Yu also gave a live presentation of Orange Bay’s latest brand case study on Lao Pu Gold.
More than 20 guests from Chinese and international jewelry brands/enterprises, financial institutions, and high-end shopping centers joined in a vibrant discussion, each offering insights into the commercial logic and market outlook of domestic luxury brands and gold jewelry products in China.
According to a recent report by the World Gold Council, Chinese consumers spent RMB 84 billion [approx. USD 11.5 billion] on gold jewelry in Q1 2025, a 29% increase from Q4 2024. Various industry data and market observations indicate that the share of the “Ancient Gold Craftsmanship” category continues to rise.
Luxe.CO Intelligence recently conducted consumer research on gold jewelry. Key findings include:
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Among high-net-worth respondents, 56.3% said they were willing to shift budgets previously allocated to international luxury jewelry toward Chinese gold jewelry brands.
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In the “high jewelry” segment, 63.3% showed a preference for gold as the primary material.
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Over 60% of respondents stated that the incorporation of Chinese aesthetic elements was very important when purchasing gold jewelry.
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However, around 75.4% believed that Chinese gold jewelry brands lack design differentiation.
Notably, 80% of respondents were born in the 1980s and 1990s.
As early as 2023, Luxe.CO Intelligence released an exclusive report on gold jewelry, raising a critical question: After the industry’s progression through “material-driven → craftsmanship-driven → design-driven” stages, how can Chinese gold jewelry brands now evolve into a “brand-driven” model to become truly global and influential?
This newly released report, “2025 China Gold Jewelry Brand Insights“, covers 30 active domestic gold jewelry brands, offering a multi-dimensional analysis of the industry’s latest developments and major challenges from perspectives including products, stores, marketing, overseas expansion, financial performance, and stock price performance.
On the product side, the revival of Ancient Gold Craftsmanship and the rise of Hard Pure Gold have enriched design expressions in the gold jewelry category, enabling a new generation to rediscover the charm of traditional Chinese culture. However, key challenges remain. Brands must consider how to translate intricate and figurative cultural symbols into more abstract, minimalist contemporary design languages; how to continuously innovate based on traditional craftsmanship; and how to refine and establish signature products and design elements that can define a differentiated brand identity. These are all important questions that brands have to persistently address.
In retail, compared to the traditional display models of the past, Chinese gold jewelry brands have accelerated the upgrading of their physical stores in recent years. Some flagship stores have become key storytelling spaces that communicate brand narratives.
Chow Tai Fook’s “GOLD IS CHIC” Aesthetics Art Exhibition
On the marketing front, beyond basic tactics such as livestreaming and celebrity endorsements, the market is still in need of deeper, more differentiated expressions of brand vision and values.
Encouragingly, leading Chinese gold jewelry brands are beginning to set the goal of becoming international luxury brands.
For instance, Chow Tai Fook officially launched its first high jewelry collection, “Timeless Harmony,” this year, describing it as a milestone moment in the brand’s nearly century-long legacy.
At the 2025 annual results presentation in April, Xu Gaoming, founder of Lao Pu Gold, clearly stated:
“We initially benchmarked ourselves against international jewelry brands, but since last year, we’ve begun benchmarking against international luxury brands.”
Lao Pu Gold’s store at Grand Gateway 66, Shanghai
Seminar guests agreed that the rise of Chinese gold jewelry brands and young consumers’ enthusiasm for Ancient Gold Craftsmanship are deeply tied to growing cultural confidence and the resurgence of Eastern aesthetics.
A guest from a high-end shopping center shared a notable observation: Last summer, they hosted a one-day university student open day and selected 20 students from top universities in China and abroad out of 800 applicants. Divided into four groups to visit various stores, the highest ratings were given to two Chinese luxury brands, as students were pleasantly surprised to find that domestic brands are now on par with international luxury brands in both product and store experience, and show even more respect toward local consumers in terms of service.
Luxe.CO firmly believes that, by using gold as a medium and integrating exquisite craftsmanship, classic cultural symbols, and Eastern aesthetics, combined with modern business models and brand-driven thinking, China’s evolving gold craftsmanship sector will secure a significant place in the global luxury landscape and give rise to more gold jewelry brands that truly resonate with high-end consumers.
｜Image Credit: Luxe.CO photography, brand official sources
｜Editor: Elisa
