Biz Scene: Biz Unusual

Jade rings fetch over $6m

A set of seven exquisite jade archer's rings from the Qing Dynasty Qianlong period fetched over $6 million in a Sotheby sale in Hong Kong.

Sotheby's sold off a total of $135 million of mainly Chinese artwork in its four-day sale, including $27.5 million of contemporary Chinese art.

"The last few series of sales have been getting stronger and stronger. There's plenty of hunger out there for great things," Henry Howard-Sneyd, Sotheby's deputy chairman for Europe and Asia, was quoted as saying.

Tibetan dogs on show

The first Tibetan mastiff show & contest was recently held in Jinjiang, Fujian Province. Over 200 of the dogs were registered for the show, which drew over 600 mastiff trainers from all over China.

The show was held in the Century Park of Jinjiang city over five days. Some mastiffs were auctioned at the show for over 10 million yuan.

The dog breed is so valuable that Tibetan mastiff pups are being sold for over 5 million yuan.

A man's best friend?

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but some Chinese jewelers are hoping men will develop the same fondness for the precious stone.

Exhibitors at a Shanghai gold and jewelry fair this week displayed diamond-

studded rings, pendants, bracelets and belt buckles, all targeting big-spending males.

"Jewelry has targeted female consumers, but there is also demand from male consumers in China," said Kevin Chen, marketing director for jewelry wholesaler Boee Jewellery, which has been selling a men's diamond series for five years.

"Our customers for the men's series are those who have a certain taste for beauty, are of a certain social status and have achieved a considerable amount of monetary wealth," he added.

(China Daily 04/12/2007 page15)