São Paulo – Exports of jewellery, gems and Brazilian costume jewellery grew 30% in 2011, as against 2010, and they should continue growing in coming years. According to the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), fairs and other international events have been useful for promotion abroad. This is the case with Jewellery Arabia, to be promoted from October 16th to 20th, in Bahrain, to include two companies from Minas Gerais.
FR Hueb and Goldesign are going to take new products to the fair whose main target is the end user. According to the Apex, sales of jewels from Brazil started growing 10 years ago, after the agency and the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Precious Metals (IBGM) developed the Gem Sector, Jewellery and Costume Jewellery Sector Programme. In 2010, the country exported the equivalent to US$ 2.3 billion. Last year, sales totalled US$ 3 billion.
In these sales, the Middle East is playing a fundamental part. According to the director of brands FR Hueb, Thiago Abdala, company sales to the region represent 50% of exports. “We experienced significant growth from 2010 on, after we decided to go to more fairs in the region,” he said. According to Abdala, expansion was only possible due to Apex support.
Apart from participating in the sectorial programme, said Abdala, the company needs to win the taste of Arab clients, which is not easy: “Arab clients are true collectors of jewellery. To enter the ‘jewel boxes’ of Arab women, the design must be innovative, as they already have all, or almost all the classics. Brazilian stones certainly please due to their differential, but they must be complementary to design,” said Abdala, who lives in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where FR Hueb opened a shop in June.
The manager of the project at the Apex, Deborah Rossoni also observed that Brazilian design and the combination of stones has been fundamental to win Arab clients. “Brazil has a great variety of colourful stones, which are placed in jewels. These are the differentials as against the classic brands and the Arabs like items like that very much.”
Design is the “visiting card” which makes Brazilian jewels competitive. “We cannot compete pricewise with India or China. Therefore, the greater the ‘Brazil concept’ and the more colourful the jewels, the greater our business opportunity. I believe that like this, exports should continue growing,” said Rossoni.
Abdala agrees that it is hard to compete with the Chinese and Indians in terms of process, but that, with different design, Brazilian jewellery is competing in a market niche dominated by Italy, with one advantage: “Of course the most desired jewellery is Italian, but it is expensive and has an aura of exclusiveness that generates a significant disadvantage. Brazilian jewellery is very creative and more approachable. And the Brazilian industry in the sector is relatively young. We have immense potential and a long route ahead,” he said.
The main forms for promotion of Brazilian jewels abroad are participation in fairs and “road shows”. Apart from Jewellery Arabia, jewel manufacturers will participate in a “road show” in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, scheduled for October 10th to 20th. At the time, jewellery producers promote a cocktail and invite special clients to learn about the releases.
The Apex and IBGM project is focussed on some kinds of products and on specific countries. The jewels are promoted in Russia, Peru, Qatar, the Emirates, Colombia, Chile, Panama, Mexico, the United States and Spain. Costume and plated jewellery is promoted in Angola, Italy, France, the Emirates, Colombia, Panama, Mexico, the United States and Spain. The main targets for the gems are Germany, China/Hong Kong, Japan, Turkey, Austria, Italy, France, the United States and Spain.
*Translated by Mark Ament
