2011 Q2 Gold Jewelry Demand +34%
By Ricci Dipshan http://www.diamonds.net
RAPAPORT... The World Gold Council expressed optimism regarding future demand for gold, following a 5 percent year-on-year increase in demand by value during the second quarter of 2011. In terms of volume, demand was down 17 percent from the same period in 2010, but at 919.8 tons — priced at approximately $44.5 billion — this demand also culminated in the second-highest quarterly value on record.
Year-on-year global demand for gold jewelry rose 6 percent in terms of volume to 2,016.7 tons, while rising 34 percent in terms of value to $21.14 billion.
The group’s “Gold Demand Trends – Second Quarter 2011” report, released today, credited gold’s strong demand in part to robust Chinese and Indian demand, which accounted for 55 percent of global jewelry demand. Year-on-year consumer demand grew 38 percent in China jewelry market and 25 percent in India.
Other factors influencing gold’s strong demand included the impact of the European sovereign debt crisis, the downgrading of U.S. debt, inflationary pressures and the still-fragile outlook for economic growth in Western countries.
Gold jewelry demand, by weight, rose across most of Asia, increasing 17 percent in China and India and 38 percent in Hong Kong, but it fell 14 percent in Japan. The Middle East also experienced a 9 percent slowdown in demand, while Saudi Arabia registered a drop of 16 percent. Demand was similarly lower in European nations, as U.K. demand fell 16 percent and Italy dropped 15 percent. U.S. demand fell by 8 percent.
By value, gold jewelry demand was up across the board, due in part to record prices, although it was weakest for the U.K. increasing only 5 percent. In Saudi Arabia, gold jewelry growth was 6 percent, while Italy recorded a 7 percent increase and in Japan, growth totaled 8 percent. Jewelry demand by value was strong in Hong Kong, up 73 percent, and in India and China, the rate of growth was 47 percent. Turkey's gold jewelry demand rose 35 percent, while in Vietnam, the figure was 33 percent. Demand also rose 15 percent in both the U.S. and the Middle East.
Second-quarter supplies of gold remained steady against the same quarter of 2010, while mine production rose 7.8 percent year on year to 708.8 tons.
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