China News Service, Shanghai, September 5 (Gao Zhimiao) High gold prices suppressed consumption, but the amount of consumption increased instead of falling. The "Insights on China's Gold Jewelry Retail Trends in 2026" released by the World Gold Council on the 4th showed that in the first half of 2026, China's gold jewelry consumption fell 30% year-on-year to 136 tons, while total consumption increased 5% to 143.7 billion yuan. Behind this set of data of “quantity falling and price rising”, China’s gold jewelry “pleases one’s own consumption” further dominates.
The 2026 Hard Pure Gold Tasting Salon jointly organized by the World Gold Council, the Yuyuan District Management Office (Jewelry Office) of Huangpu District, Shanghai, and twelve jointly promoted retail brands was held on the 4th. Insights into industry trends released at the event showed that solid gold is becoming the fastest-growing gold category due to its “hard, light and bright” product characteristics.
Wang Lixin, CEO of the World Gold Council China, described the current situation of solid gold as “vigorous development”. He said that although hard pure gold does not account for the largest proportion of the overall gold jewelry market, it is already the fastest growing category. "The technical characteristics of hard pure gold bring more possibilities for daily wear of gold - it is hard enough to withstand daily bumps, the lightweight design ensures the comfort of long-term wearing, and the shiny texture makes it suitable for diverse scenarios from commuting to socializing. Consumers do not need to compromise for the occasion, nor are they bound by rules, they only need to freely match according to personal preferences."
This trend has been confirmed in retail terminals. Xia Hongchuan, director of Chow Tai Sang Jewelry Group, observed that the consumption scene of hard pure gold is changing from "low-frequency rigid demand" to "high-frequency fashion". "With its light weight, high hardness, and high appearance, it meets the needs of young consumers for fashionable wear and personal expression, and it also fits the price range of their main consumption." In his view, hard pure gold goes hand in hand with traditional 18K gold or heavy-gram pure gold jewelry in the consumer market, and is becoming a new trend for young consumers to wear jewelry.
Chen Suru, deputy general manager of marketing of Xie Ruilin Group, also said that for today's young consumers, "pleasing oneself" and daily wear have become the primary consumption scenarios for pure gold jewelry. This trend requires brands to provide differentiated and stylized product choices for different personality expressions and aesthetic preferences. "Relying on the brand's traditional advantages in inlays and Western jewelry design, we use the innovative process of 'gilt gold' as a breakthrough in the hard pure gold category. This process not only achieves hollowness and lightweight, ensuring wearing comfort, but also gives the product smoother lines."
Hard gold has moved from "industry terminology" to "consumer language", and the implementation of industry standards is a key step. The "Hard Pure Gold Jewelry" industry standard to be implemented in 2025 unifies the hardness index and purity requirements at the production end. Ning Caigang, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and general manager of Caibai Co., Ltd., believes that after the standards are released, all standards will be the same from the production side, the retail side will also be very unified, and the consumer side will become increasingly clear through promotion.
The exploration of Hard Pure Gold does not stop at products. As "Generation Z" gradually becomes the main force of consumption, how to establish emotional connections with young consumers has become a common consideration in the industry. In 2026, the World Gold Council will integrate the personality attribute labels that young people like nowadays into category promotion, and put forward the core proposition of "hard pure gold, reflecting the true self, just wear it like this". Regarding the future of hard gold, Wang Lixin is full of confidence: "Hard gold is still the sun at eight or nine o'clock, and there is huge room for future development. From the level of craftsmanship to the level of emotional expression, there is huge room for expansion."
