Anime "Invades" Gold Jewelry: "Pain Gold" Fuels the Hype for Gold "Goods"! A Post-95s Consumer: Custom Gold Offers Better Value

Over the past three years, rising gold prices have heightened interest in gold jewelry, sparking wave after wave of "gold fever." In the retail market, the price of pure gold jewelry from major brands has mostly exceeded 1,000 yuan per gram, leaving many consumers feeling priced out.

At the same time, Times Weekly found that this year, the "gold fever" has spread to the anime world, with major jewelry brands targeting "pain gold" culture and anime-loving young consumers. The term "pain" originates from Japanese otaku culture, referring to the customization of items to openly express love for specific anime or game characters.

"Pain gold" refers to gold products infused with anime elements, now the hottest "goods" (a transliteration of "goods" in anime fandom, referring to merchandise related to anime, games, or idols). Brands like Chow Tai Fook (1929.HK), Chow Tai Seng (002867.SZ), Lao Feng Xiang (600612.SH), Chow Sang Sang (0116.HK), Lao Miao Gold, and CHJ (002345.SZ) have all launched IP-collaborated gold jewelry, featuring series like Chiikawa, Saint Seiya, Pop Mart, Sanrio, Honor of Kings, Heaven Official’s Blessing, Disney, Pokémon, Eggy Party, and Crayon Shin-chan.

Times Weekly noted that social platforms like Xiaohongshu play a significant role in promoting these IP-collaborated gold products, with countless "grass-planting" posts hyping them up. Among them, Chow Tai Fook’s Chiikawa series, Lao Feng Xiang’s Saint Seiya collection, and Lao Miao Gold’s Heaven Official’s Blessing line are the most popular.

IP-collaborated gold jewelry is sold at fixed prices, mostly using 3D, 5D, or 5G techniques, with some featuring enamel painting—referred to as enamel gold. Compared to weight-based gold jewelry, the per-gram price of IP-collaborated pieces can be several times higher.

On August 7, the pure gold price from major brands was mostly under 1,020 yuan/gram, while fixed-price IP-collaborated gold jewelry ranged from 1,300 to 2,800 yuan/gram. For example, Chow Tai Fook’s Chiikawa pendant (0.2g) was priced at 560 yuan, translating to 2,800 yuan/gram—2.76 times the brand’s listed gold price that day.

Meanwhile, Times Weekly found that on Xianyu, Chow Tai Fook’s Chiikawa lucky beads (featuring Kii, Hachi, and Usagi) were selling for just 799 yuan per piece, or 907.95 yuan/gram.