The quietly emerging market worth hundreds of billions of dollars – who is driving the explosion of stainless steel jewelry?
When young people start defining fashion with the concept of “sustainable dressing”, and when a couple’s token of love is no longer a diamond ring but a titanium steel ring, a consumption revolution in jewelry is taking place. According to data, the global market size of stainless steel jewelry reached 70.2 billion US dollars in 2023, and is expected to exceed the 100-billion-dollar mark by 2032.
The global market size in 2023 was 70.2 billion US dollars, equivalent to 192 million pieces of stainless steel jewelry being sold every day. It is expected that the growth rate will reach 4.01% (a 100-billion-dollar increase) by 2032, even exceeding the growth expectation of the smartphone market during the same period.
As the largest consumer market, China contributed over 40% of the share in the Asia-Pacific region. Data from Tmall in 2023 shows that the search volume for stainless steel jewelry increased by 130% year-on-year, and the proportion of 95-generation buyers reached 58%.
Both the ring and the pendant ranked first with a combined sales volume of 18 billion US dollars. The ring held the top position due to its “suitable for daily wear” feature, while the pendant rose rapidly due to the demand for emotional expression.
The bracelet (12 billion US dollars) and the necklace (15 billion US dollars) had the fastest growth rates. Especially the handchain with a stackable design became the most popular accessory item in the “stacking fashion” trend.
Jewelry of the same design costs only 1/10 of the price of gold. Take a certain popular brand as an example. A star and moon necklace with a monthly sales volume of over 100,000 has a cost that is only 1/5 of the price of the precious metal version.
Traditional jewelry is regarded as “family heirlooms”, while stainless steel jewelry stimulates repeat purchases through frequent replacements (such as quarterly limited editions). A fast fashion brand increased its average order value by 37% by launching new products every month.
The nickel release rate of medical-grade 316L stainless steel is less than 0.2 μg/cm² per week, which is only 1/50 of that of cheaper alloys. The Japanese brand Agete has specially launched the “Zero Allergy Series”, and the repurchase rate of allergic users is as high as 72%.
Groups such as fitness enthusiasts and medical professionals regard stainless steel jewelry as a “necessary item for work”. A certain sports brand’s anti-sweat wristbands have achieved an annual sales volume of over 500,000 pieces.
The average annual consumption of American consumers is $287, which is 2.3 times that of the Asia-Pacific region. In cities like New York and Los Angeles, “stainless steel jewelry subscription” services have emerged, where users pay $30 per month to receive new designs.
The EU’s “Circular Economy Action Plan” requires that by 2030, the use of recycled materials in the jewelry industry reach 50%, and it aims to increase the annual export volume of stainless steel jewelry by 11%. The German brand Klara has raised the recycling rate of factory wastewater to 97%, becoming an industry benchmark.
The lower-tier and below-level cities in China contributed 65% of the increase. The Pinduoduo “100-yuan steel jewelry” section achieved a daily average transaction volume of over 10 million yuan. The Indian market has shown a trend of “gold substitution”, with the sales volume of stainless steel wedding jewelry in rural areas increasing by 480% in three years.
The explosion of stainless steel jewelry is essentially a reconfiguration of consumption values – people no longer pay for “scarcity”, but rather for “sustainability”, “individuality” and “emotional resonance”. When the Z generation replaces diamonds with steel jewelry and leasing with purchase, this quiet revolution is rewriting the rules of the jewelry industry that has existed for a century. The future jewelry market is destined to belong to those who can both understand human nature and master technology – the game-changers.
