The strong colour trend in the United States has brought satisfactory sales to a gemstone manufacturer and exporter, China Stone Co Ltd in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. “Our best seller in the United States is peridot in commercial quality, 1 carat to 2 carats at USD 3 to USD 8 a carat at wholesale. To increase the variety of our product range, we launched fancy cuts and carved stones, such as pieces in the shapes of stars and maple leaves wholesaling between USD 80 to USD 100 piece. Most orders are for stones below 3 carats”, owner of company, Rock Lee, said.
To better organize marketing activities in the United States, the company set up a sales
office in Los Angeles, California, the United States in 1999. Currently, the united States constitutes 30 percent of China Stone's total sales. Other markets of the company include
Thailand, 40 percent and China, 30 percent. “We plan to exhibit at more trade fairs in the United States to increase our exposure to the market,” Mr Lee said.
Internet is another sales channel of China Stone. The company has launched a web site, www.china-stone.net, selling mainly peridot. “To facilitate transactions of peridot,
we have developed a colour scheme for peridot in different hues. Buyers can view the various
colours of our stock on the web site and decide which stone to buy. Other details such as
weight, shape and cut of each stone are listed on the site. To boost buyers confidence in
our merchandise, stones sold at our web site are guaranteed for 30 days after the purchase.
Buyers who are not satisfied with the quality of the stones can return the goods to us and
ask for a refund. In the first half of 2000, an average of 35 transactions were made at our
website each day. Orders were mainly for peridot in commercial quality wholesaling below
US 30.00 a carat. Most buyers were gemstones traders in the United States.” Other coloured gemstones available at China Stone include sapphire, rubies, aquamarine and pink tourmaline.
China Stone is also optimistic about the growing potential of the China market.
“Demand for coloured gemstones increases in China as the country has become an
important jewellery manufacturing center. Amid the rising living standard in the country,
more consumers in China are able to afford jewellery. Orders are strong for calibrated
rubies and sapphires such as rounds and squares from 2 mm to 4 mm wholesaling
below USD 80 a carat. Some orders are for stones up to 3 carats. Sales are mainly
from Zhengzhou and cities in northen China including Beijing, Dalian in Liaoning Province
and Shangdong Province,” Mr Lee said.
To explore markets in southern China, the company established a sales office in
Shenzhen in Guangdong Province in the begriming of 2000. "Sales to jewellery
manufactures such as joint-venture factories of Hong Kong and China companies in
Guangdong Province are strong," he said.
ChinaStone currently owns two gemstone cutting factories: one in Bangkok, Thailand
and one in Zhengzhou. “Our Bangkok factory employs a total of 100 workers
manufacturing mainly rubies and sapphires. Other coloured gemstones such as peridot,
garnet, aquamarine and tourmaline are cut in our Zhengzhou factory, which has
120 workers. Sapphire and peridot rough is mainly purchased from mines in
Shangdong and Jilin provinces in China. we also import rough from Mozambique”, Mr Lee said.
Echinastone.com, the online leader in the precious and semiprecious gemstones category,
located on the web at www.echinastone.com with a head office in Bangkok, Thailand,
a network of offices in most major cities throughout China and a representative office
in London, England
Echinastone.com offers consumers a better way to buy gemstones and
provides an exceptional collection of colour faceted gemstones selected and graded
according to high standards of quality, beauty, and value. Cleanly designed and easy
to navigate, the website offers the in-depth education necessary to make informed
purchases with confidence. All Echinastone.com gemstones is returnable within 15 days.
The company can be reached by phone at + 44 (0)20 768 12 641
