Stephen and his ring. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
One day in March, Stephen from Australia brought his family heirloom, a one-hundred-year old ring with a sapphire missing, to Guangzhou looking for a matching stone and repairing. Introduced by a local friend, Stephen came to Tonni Yaung, a jeweler and jewelry designer with his own jewelry company and plant based in Daluo Village, Panyu District, Guangzhou.
Tonni showed Stephen around the gemstone shopping malls in Daluo Village and found a matching sapphire. Then in his plant, he shaped and inlaid the stone, giving an intact ring back to Stephen. According to Tonni, Stephen would return to Panyu this summer to customize a diamond necklace for his dog.
In fact, Stephen is only one of the many, especially the industry professionals, who are attracted to Panyu by its reputation as one of the most famous jewelry manufacturing bases in the world.
One of the jewelry shopping malls in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Panyu: world famous jewelry manufacturing base
In Panyu, the gem processing and jewelry industries came into being in the 1980s. Due to its advantages in geography, transportation and labor force as well as great support from the government, Panyu has now become the biggest manufacturing base for gold , silver, jewelry and gemstone.
Gemstones showed in a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
It is reported that there are over 200 jewel and related enterprises and 1,600 colored gemstone processing plants in Panyu, with more than 50,000 employees. There are several large-scale jewellery industrial districts located in Shiqiao Subdistrict, Daluotang Subdistrict, Dagang Town, Shawan Town, etc.
According to statistics, Panyu’s annual output of jewelry accounts for 60% that of China’s. Over 70% jewelry exported from Hong Kong to other regions and 90% jewelry branded and sold in Hong Kong are made in Panyu. More than 70-ton colored stones are inlaid onto jewelry in Panyu every year.
A woman classifies gemstones in one of the stores in a jewelry shopping mall. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
How to develop a career in jewelry industry in Panyu
As one of the many jewelers in Panyu, Tonni shares similar experience with his counterparts in developing a career.
Due to jewelry manufacture being transferred to Panyu from Hong Kong because of labor cost, related technologies were also introduced to this emerging jewelry manufacturing base then. Many young people came to Panyu to learn jewel crafting and processing as apprentices in factories, which also enabled them to support a family. With the improvement of craftsmanship and living standards, many of these people left the factories and started their own jewelry companies.
Gemstones that still need to be further processed in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Tonni studied jewelry design in college. After graduation, he got a job in a jewelry company of CTF. There he met his mentors who guided him in the industry. After working for a period of time, Tonni went to Gemological Institute of America - Hong Kong (GIA Hong Kong) for further study of jewelry. Then he started his own business as well.
Doing business on one’s own is much more difficult and complex than working in factory or company. Tonni is keenly aware of that now. For example, in order to get orders, he needs to take part in exhibitions and travel around the country or even overseas to meet clients. He has to follow the market closely so as to keep up with the trend, price and technology. “Jewelry fairs are excellent platforms for study and exchange. You can see and learn different new things every year,” said Tonni.
A worker polishes a gemstone ring in Tonni’s plant. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Professional attitude and craftsman spirit are essential in the industry
After working in the jewelry industry for 7 years, Tonni strongly believes that professional attitude is the most important and one can never put too much emphasis on perfection.
Tonni recalled that standards for jewelry manufacture were very strict a dozen years ago, and many craftsmen still stick to those demanding standards now. They are dedicated to perfection and make sure all the details are perfect.
“I have my own standards in my plant. Most of the time my clients agree with that,” said Tonni, “however, some clients would also raise their own standards. Then I need combine mine with theirs and make sure my workers follow those standards, which is not easy.”
A worker processes a piece of jewelry in Tonni’s plant. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
According to Tonni, in order to make a piece of jewelry, there are many production processes, such as CAD drawing, reverse wax mold, reverse gold mold, and polishing. From the first procedure to the last, there is shrinkage between every two procedures. Therefore, if the finished product is of a certain size, the drawing of it should contain all the shrinkages that will happen during the procedures.
“We may never be 100% perfect all the time. Sometimes we might lose one point. But we will always strive to eliminate errors and hopefully we can make perfection more perfect,” said Tonni.
A combined photo of products of Cha Cha Jewellery founded by Tonni. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
From jewelry manufacturing to building self-owned jewelry brands
As a world famous jewelry manufacturing base, Panyu has been manufacturing and processing jewelry and stones for more than 30 years, but still it has no self-owned brand.
In recent years, affected by the international economy, the jewelry industry is stagnant, and the market is approaching saturation. In the meantime, the increasing labor cost also imposes a heavy burden on the industry. Some plants even lower their process cost dramatically to vie for orders.
Now is the transformation period for the jewelry industry. As everyone knows, the industrial transformation and upgrading is in full swing around the country, jewelry industry in Panyu is no exception.
In Panyu, some enterprises have already shifted from batch processing to manufacturing of original and personalized jewelry products. They aim at market segments and individuality, creating their own jewelry brands.
Cha Cha Jewellery founded by Tonni. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Tonni and his company is one of them. He is well aware that he has to launch his own jewelry brand sooner or later. Therefore, he launched his own brand Cha Cha Jewellery in 2015. “Every jewelry designer or jeweler desires a world-class jewelry brand like Tiffany or Cartier,” said Tonni, “Although it might take a long time for us to realize that, I am still very confident, as my annual turnover is increasing year by year.”
In order to make his world-class jewelry brand, Tonni learns about the market all the time and seizes opportunities to work with foreign brands so as to learn about their ideas. Now he is doing his best, in hope of realizing his dream as soon as possible.
“My brand might be a bit young without profound culture or touching stories now, but the price and quality are very competitive,” said Tonni. He also pointed out that in order to form the industrial culture, government support and opportunity are also necessary. Besides, he believes marketing is very important for the brand’s growth, even though it is very expensive. That’s why he is working with art galleries and artists to promote his brand.
(Interview by Jecey; script by Monica)
A gemstone ring is showed in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A stone is seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Jewelry is seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Jewelry is seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Jewelry is seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Stones are seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Stones are seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Raw stone materials are seen in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
Stones that need to be further processed in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
People work in a store of a jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A worker designs a ring on computer in Tonni's company in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A workerprocesses a piece of jewelry in Tonni's company in Panyu.[Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A worker processes a ring in Tonni's company in Panyu.[Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A worker processes a piece of jewelry in Tonni's company in Panyu.[Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A worker processes a piece of jewelry in Tonni's company in Panyu.[Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
A jewelry shopping mall in Panyu. [Photo: Newsgd.com/Monica]
