'Chinese damas' favor gems over gold  

(ECNS) -- At the 11th Shanghai International Jewelry Exhibition that opened Wednesday, colored gems, jade, corals and tambac became the new favorites of Chinese dama's, while gold was mostly ignored, the Jiefang Daily reported.

A staffer at Lao Fengxiang, a renowned jewelry company in China, said sales of colored gems this year have seen a more than fivefold increase from previous years.

"The trend of gold price is not clear, but elaborately designed rubies can retain their value well," said a woman surnamed Li.

With increasing domestic consumers learning about colored gems, they have become the most popular jewelry after gold and diamonds, said Cui Yuedong, CEO of colored-stone com.cn.

Jewels can't be mass produced, so they are sure to remain valuable or appreciate, Cui said.

However, common consumers should pay more attention to colored stones' quality and ornamental value, not investment potential, Cui added.