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I N F O C U S
» Building on a colourful legacy
» From heritage to contemporary craft
» Old friends and new faces
» Eye on the future
» Watch the 74th Bangkok Gem & Jewelry Fair
» On the Show Floor
» Networking Night + The Ones to Watch Fashion Show
Twice a year, Bangkok becomes a meeting point for the international jewellery trade, as buyers, manufacturers, designers, gemstone dealers, and industry professionals converge for the Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair.
As visitors from around the world move between established suppliers and the next generation of local talent, the show is busy and unapologetically focused on trade; beneath the sheer size of the event, however, we find a more considered story about where Thailand sees its jewellery industry heading next.
Organised by Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) in collaboration with the Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand (GIT), the event has become a fixture on the international jewellery calendar. The latest edition – the 74th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair – was held from 8-12 September at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), in the heart of Bangkok.
More casually known as Bangkok Gems, or BKKGems, the fair is large-scale, and this edition had the numbers to match. In the lead-up to the event, organisers were expecting around 1,200 exhibitors and 45,000 visitors.
By the time the show closed, more than 1,300 companies had filled 2,800 booths across eight halls at QSNCC, with the event expanding into a third hall for the first time. More than 50,000 visitors were recorded.
That represented a 12 per cent increase in attendance compared with the February edition, while international visitors accounted for 74 per cent of the total. India, Myanmar, China, Japan and Sri Lanka were the top five visiting nations.
For an event of this size, expansion can easily become a goal in itself; however, DITP Deputy Director of Commerce Surinthorn Sunthornsanan was keen to emphasise that bigger is not necessarily better and that other objectives are in mind.
“Our priority, however, is quality rather than expansion for now. Future development will take into account the quality and diversity of exhibitors, buyer experience, business matching and international participation,” he said.
That focus on value rather than simply volume was evident in the way the fair positioned itself – not only as a sourcing destination, but as a showcase for the broader capabilities of Thailand’s jewellery industry – specifically in original equipment manufacturing (OEM), original design manufacturing (ODM), and original brand manufacturing (OBM).
“Our objective is not to move away from these strengths, but to build greater value on top of them,” Sunthornsanan added.
“Thailand will continue to be a trusted manufacturing and sourcing base. At the same time, DITP wants Thai businesses with potential to capture greater value through design, innovation, branding and OBM development.”
While sentiment around the event was largely positive, the organisers did not shy away from the trepidation many feel about the broader economy. In briefing notes prepared for international media, the department's Deputy Director-General identified global economic uncertainty, geopolitical developments, high precious-metal prices, and increasingly selective buyer behaviour as the principal challenges facing the industry.
That said, the department offered a counter-argument: Thai exports have so far absorbed those pressures. Strong visitor figures at the show were presented as evidence of sustained confidence in jewellery “as a long-term store of value, a form of personal expression and a resilient international trade sector.” Bangkok Gems was described as a barometer of industry confidence even in uncertain times.
A clear thread ran through this edition of Bangkok Gems. Thailand wants to reinforce its position not simply as a manufacturing powerhouse, but as a global centre for colour gemstones, jewellery production and, increasingly, design.
According to organisers, colour gemstones accounted for 35 per cent of the fair's total trade value, followed by machinery and equipment, fine jewellery, silver jewellery, and diamonds.
These figures underline the importance of colour gemstones to Thailand’s identity. The country ranks first globally for exports of cut and polished colour gemstones and second for silver jewellery exports. It’s a crucial link in the international jewellery supply chain.
Walking through the halls, that gemstone heritage was difficult to miss. The fair’s emphasis on colour, manufacturing expertise, and sourcing capability was complemented by initiatives designed to showcase where the next generation of Thai jewellery businesses might go.
The newly introduced Designer Zone was perhaps the clearest expression of that ambition. It provided Thai designers with direct exposure to international buyers, bringing design and manufacturing capability into closer proximity.
Within the Designer Zone, ‘The Ones to Watch’ exhibition provided another glimpse of what is coming next. The showcase featured emerging talent drawn from The Secret Gems, a reality competition launched by DITP under the Ministry of Commerce to discover and develop Thailand’s next generation of jewellery creators. The competition is currently being aired on national television in Thailand and will run until October, with eight episodes in total.
The concept is straightforward. Eight teams pair a professional jewellery designer brand with university students and next-generation artisans. Each four-member team tackles real-world design challenges and develops contemporary jewellery for international markets.
Its central theme – ‘Unlocking Hidden Value, Shining on the World Stage’ – neatly captures the broader objective. The programme aims to identify emerging designers and artisans, develop their skills, and connect their work with international commercial opportunities.
The Ones to Watch exhibition took that idea from television screen to the trade-show floor. For the emerging designers, it offers a chance to put their work directly in front of international buyers. Just as importantly, they do so alongside the manufacturing infrastructure that can help a promising design move from concept to commercial production.
The organisers also devoted considerable attention to Thailand’s jewellery heritage. The Craft of Brilliance exhibition traced the country’s jewellery history and its evolution into contemporary production, providing some historical context for an industry that today operates on a distinctly international scale.
Thailand’s relationship with jewellery and gemstones stretches back more than 2,000 years, with gold and metalworking techniques arriving via Hindu settlers from India. During the 14th to the 18th centuries, jewellery-making flourished, with members of the royal court adorning themselves with gold and locally sourced colour gemstones.
By the late 19th and 20th centuries, jewellery production had moved beyond the restraints of the royal sphere, becoming a widespread commercial craft and an increasingly important contributor to the economy.
The gemstone story is equally significant. Chanthaburi, in eastern Thailand, is renowned for its deep-red rubies, as well as yellow and black star sapphires. Kanchanaburi, in western Thailand, is recognised for its blue sapphires.
That history remains an important part of the country’s jewellery proposition; however, at Bangkok Gems, the message was that heritage is a foundation, not a destination.
As many readers will already understand, Thailand and Australia share a long history of association when it comes to colour gemstones and jewellery. In fact, a report from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) goes as far as to say the connection between Thailand and Australia was pivotal in shaping the modern sapphire market.
It should come as no surprise then that while walking the aisles of Bangkok Gems, you will spot plenty of familiar faces. Among them was Mark McAskill of Mark McAskill Fine Jewellery.
“The Bangkok fair remains a regular fixture on the trade calendar,” he told Jeweller.
“It offers considerable breadth in colour gemstones, and is often where new material, fresh cuts, and emerging sources first come to light. For buyers focused on colour, it is worth a visit.”
This was my third time walking the floor of Bangkok Gems; for many, however, it was a new experience. This was true for John Chapman of Perth-based company Gemetrix, who made the voyage for the first time.
“I had been warned that it was smaller than the Hong Kong show, with a bias towards colour gemstones rather than diamonds. Nevertheless, the lower number of booths was a bonus, as they still had quite a few booths that covered various products such as fancy colour diamonds, synthetic diamonds, and detection instruments – my interests,” Chapman reported.
“The event also had quite a few seminars that were worth attending. With the expo spread over only two floors, it was easy to navigate and explore the full range of gemstone and jewellery offerings.”
Another figure pleased with what the trade show had to offer was Youichi Fukasawa of Jewelry Craft Fukasawa – one of Japan’s most distinguished artisans.
“Every Bangkok fair brings new connections and new discoveries, and that is what makes it so rewarding,” he said.
“I am grateful to everyone who visited my booth, and to the organisers and staff who make the show what it is.”
The fair’s various initiatives – from the Designer Zone and The Ones to Watch to its emphasis on OEM, ODM and OBM development – pointed towards an industry looking to add greater value further along the jewellery chain.
For international buyers, it was a proposition they readily accepted. Feedback was positive about the opportunity to access Thailand’s established gemstone and manufacturing expertise, while also getting a closer look at the designers, brands and ideas emerging from the country’s next generation.
This was reflected in the feedback from Decha Nuntana, managing director of sales for PRANDA Group – a company which has spent the past 50 years working hand-in-hand with leading jewellery brands in the US, Europe, and Asia.
"While we saw fewer overall visitors from traditional markets such as India, China, the EU and the US, it was offset by a surge in start-up entrepreneurs from across all regions,” he told Jeweller.
“We experienced significantly stronger exhibitor participation in the coloured stones sector, which helped to strengthen the fair's position in that category."
And that was the story of the 74th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair. The sheer size of the event remains impressive; however, as is so often the case, the more interesting developments were found in the spaces between the numbers.
Designers are being given a larger platform, emerging talent is being placed in front of international buyers, and there is an effort to strengthen the connection between Thailand’s considerable manufacturing heritage and a new age of design, innovation and branding.
The message from organisers was clear. Bangkok Gems does not need to become bigger simply for the sake of being bigger. The next stage is about making the show – and the industry it represents – more valuable to the broader jewellery trade.
For an event built on colour, craftsmanship, and commerce, I’m sure you’d agree that this is a fitting direction.
The next two editions are already scheduled. The 75th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair will take place from 23-27 February 2027, followed by the 76th edition from 7-11 September 2027.
• Editor's Note: The author attended the 74th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair courtesy of the event organiser.