Shoppers In China 'love Diamonds'

Published on 25/04/08

Diamonds are a Chinese girl's best friend, according to new figures published from the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE).

In the first quarter of 2008 the SDE imported £124 million dollars worth of diamonds under general trade, the International Business Times reported, citing its source as the Xinhua News Agency.

This was almost 60 per cent more diamonds than at the same time last year, the report stated, and 99.5 per cent were used to create diamond jewellery, including bespoke jewellery and designer jewellery.

The report suggested the figures showed a "strong demand for diamond consumption in China".

In addition, the SDE imported £52.2 million worth of diamonds under general trade in March - a record high and up 49.6 percent on March 2007.

Asian demand for designer jewellery could further increase as the wedding season begins, a report suggested.

The Mail on Sunday recently reported that sales of bespoke pieces could experience a boom when the five-week period begins.