Helen Zhang

A NATIVE of Arezzo, Italy, 57-year-old businessman Mario Assuero Barbagli has been engaged in the jewelry business in Shenzhen for 11 years.

“My office is in Hong Kong, but I have set jewelry showrooms and shops in Shenzhen — the fastest developing city in China,” said Barbagli.

Barbagli has 30 years of experience in the jewelry business. He had great interest in jewelry and started to learn design when he was young. He said the jewelry trade was the most important part of his life.

“I started my jewelry company with two partners when I was 27 and found jewelry had a very big market,” said Barbagli.

Barbagli expanded his business from Italy to the Philippines, then Hong Kong and finally Shenzhen. He opened his first Shenzhen shop in the old Causeway Bay department store in Huaqiangbei shopping area in 2003. At that time, Shenzhen residents didn’t want to spend too much money on jewelry and thus purchased small items. Barbagli realized that it was too early to promote his big, fashionable Italian jewelry in the city.

The fast economic growth of Shenzhen in recent years triggered Bargagli’s ambition to enlarge his business in the city. In 2004, Barbagli closed the Causeway Bay shop and opened a jewelry showroom at the Shuibei International Jewelry Trade Center in Luohu District. He decided to target mainly wholesalers and chain stores. Business improved somewhat, but it was still far from what he had been hoping for.

Barbagli said the jewelry market in Shenzhen began to change at the end of 2004. “Many companies began to locate their jewelry shops in beautifully decorated department stores instead of selling them in small shops. They sold jewelry at higher prices, and, of course, the quality was also higher. Wholesalers from different provinces of China came to my showroom,” said Barbagli, who now goes back home more often to bring new jewelry collections back to Shenzhen.

“I think Shenzhen people’s attitude towards jewelry changed in 2005. They totally accepted and were attracted by well-designed jewelry instead of gold and gold ornaments. My business broke barriers from then on,” he said.

Shenzhen people have become very fashionable in Babagli’s eyes. “My target is to increase the number of jewelry showrooms and even expand the business to other cities in Guangdong Province,” he said.