Reinforcing this trend is the fact that red is always in at this time of year with Asian buyers as we near the Lunar New Year, which falls in early February in 2024. As a particularly auspicious colour, it is widely worn by all, affecting sales of jewellery as well as fashion and watches.

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Beyond Lunar New Year, jewellery designers continue to see red for spring/summer 2024, offering some respite from the all-black looks that have dominated the runways. While the colour is widely associated with love and romance, often resulting in more delicate, feminine pieces, the latest offerings couldn’t be more different.

Spring’s red-hued jewels are on the bolder side, creating a more confident look. Take for example Bottega Veneta’s Armour earrings and matching necklace, reminiscent of dragon’s scales. Red enamel, applied by hand, highlights their sculptural, contemporary shape. Also making a fashionable statement with red is Italian jeweller Sabbadini, whose 18k rose gold and bronze earrings have been coated with vibrant red lacquer.

“Top jewellery designers have created playful and uplifting red pieces. In addition to red-coloured gems and crystals, materials such as lacquer, enamel and coral have been used to create different textures and shades, perfectly complementing the ultimate primary palette looks,” says Libby Page, market director of Net-a-Porter.

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The fine jewellery world as a whole is taking its cue and creating more modern styles featuring red-coloured stones including rubies. Anita Ko’s dangling oval “hoop” earrings, which feature a mix of pear-shaped rubies and diamonds, are both classic and playful, making them appealing to a multitude of women.

Some other brands, meanwhile, are experimenting with different red-hued stones and materials to create precious pieces that are suitable for everyday.

“Spinel and rubellite tourmaline are other up-and-coming gems because their rich red hue is similar to that of ruby. The spinel’s lustre is brilliant, making it a great choice for jewellery, while rubellite is better for larger pieces,” says Regine Ngan, head of the jewellery department at Sotheby’s Asia.

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Another popular stone is rhodolite, a type of garnet known for its red/pink/purplish hues. It takes centre stage in Boucheron’s Serpent Bohème collection of versatile pieces including single stud earrings, and bracelets, necklaces and pendants designed for layering.

Van Cleef & Arpels meanwhile has injected the rich reddish/orange hue of its signature carnelian into its bestselling Perlée collection. The striking Perlée Couleurs open bracelet features signature gold beads finished with a large carnelian stone for a dramatic look.