Did you know that China is the largest e-commerce market in the world?
In 2021, China overtook the US to become the largest market for e-commerce globally. It generates almost 50% of the world’s online retail transactions, reaching more than 710 million digital buyers, with transactions totaling US$2.68 trillion in 2022.
Out of the sizeable online market in China, online jewellery sales have been growing in importance and value in recent years. In 2020, online sales accounted for about 9% of total jewellery sales in China; by 2023, about 28% of total jewellery sales in China were made online.
China’s online jewellery market is a highly competitive industry where countless online retail mega-chain flagship stores, smaller online shopping platform shops, social media activities, and video and livestreaming channels exist and compete alongside one another.
Thus, it is a noteworthy achievement when an individual rises to the top of this food chain to become a recognised brand leader in an ocean of competitors.
Ms. Queena Zhang, founder and CEO of Queena.Z Jewellery, is one of the biggest names in the Chinese online jewellery industry today. In 2020, she was No. 1 in terms of Total Sales Amount in the Jewellery Section of mega-online shopping platform Taobao.com during the sales extravaganzas on both Double-11 and Double-12.
She was also named the Most Valuable Livestreamer in the Industry for Taobao.com in 2020. Over the next few years, she continued to achieve breakthrough after breakthrough.
Queena was the first livestreamer to achieve sales of over RMB 100 million during the Midyear Online Shopping Carnival in 2021. In the same year, she also became the first Jewellery KOL (Key Opinion Leader) to do on-site livestreaming for the 3rd China International Import Expo.
In 2023, she was the Top Jewellery KOL of Double-11 in Taobao.com, while she was named Top Jewellery Livestreamer of the Year by Taobao.com in 2024.
With an average of 3.1 million followers and RMB 35 million turnover per live stream, Queena has achieved sales of over RMB 1.5 billion per year. In this Prime Interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Queena about her professional experiences from her success story as well as her personal views on life, health, and wellness.
Hello, Queena. Thank you for taking time out to speak with us today. Let’s start the interview by talking about your career. You’ve become one of China’s top influencers in the online jewellery segment. How did you get started on this journey, and what made you decide to focus on this industry?
QUEENA ZHANG: Hello and thank you for the opportunity as well. How did I get started? First of all, at that time, I was doing media work and the experience was quite interesting. Due to my work, I got to go to a lot of gemstone mines as well as locations where the gemstone industry was established.
It was then that I realised that if you visit the mines from which these gemstones were extracted and see the beauty of the products in this context, the feeling is just different. I have a natural affinity for these things which come from nature.
From my interest, I started learning about jewellery appraisal and also started my own collection. As my knowledge and collection grew, I became a blogger so that I could share my knowledge with other people.
In 2018, when livestreaming became popular in Taobao, I started livestreaming lessons to teach and share my expertise on this subject matter. From these sessions, I attracted many fans and my number of followers started growing rapidly.
After three months, my channel’s popularity grew to tens of thousands of followers. Currently, I have about three million followers. I think this is a sign of recognition for my professional expertise, and I believe that my choice to embark on this career is right.
What were some of the early difficulties you faced, and how did you overcome them?
QZ: The unique nature of gemstones is a major challenge. Unlike fast food or fast fashion like Uniqlo, it is impossible to ensure that all products are uniform in quality. Professional jewellery is impossible to replicate as each gemstone is different. One jade bracelet will not be the same as another.
As it is difficult to standardise products, even when selling online in volume, I have to sell them as individual pieces. This is true for Hetian jade, diamonds, and other gemstones. Every stone is different.
However, I slowly became gutsier and increased my volume. When my sales hit a certain number, the industry began to realise that I had the ability to sell such products in volume online.
I think as a result of watching my channel, which was unique and confident, a lot of supply chain centres in China started working harder to cut their gems and standardise their production.
This resulted in a new age for China’s online jewellery market. I was a leader and trailblazer in this new age and got to witness its growth.
What are some of the key moments in your journey toward success?
QZ: The breakthrough came during the pandemic when everyone could not go to work and had to stay at home. I was giving lectures online and this gave me a ready audience. I hit my first peak, gaining about one million followers.
By 2021, my daily output value had exploded to around RMB 10-20 million daily, with many record-breaking live streams, which was another peak for me.
This is despite the fact that online gemstone sales cannot be done in large volumes. I can say that these achievements were due to an accumulation of trust between me and my followers. Looking back, it was a record-breaking period for us.
Our channel was the only one in China that was able to achieve such sales figures, among all anchors on platforms like Douyin.
At that time, my monthly sales figure was around RMB 300-400 million a month. That was a peak for me. However, this is a peak that is very difficult to scale above. This is because people who buy jewellery once may not do it again.
You end up having to spend capital to break into new markets. The competition also becomes tougher. As time went on, more and more anchors were doing the same thing.
You maintain a very demanding schedule. How do you balance the demands of your career while staying energised and productive?
QZ: The pressure of livestreaming is very high, so the key to achieving work-life balance is adjusting one’s mindset. I always set aside time for my children. I make time for calls with them and set aside some alone time every week, where all I would care about is playing and acting out fairy tales with them, or we would participate in some social activities together.
If I really feel a lot of pressure, I take a day or two off. I would go abroad to relax or go somewhere quiet to clear my mind. Then I would try my best to come up with a plan for the future. I think I am quite easy-going, flexible, and open-minded. I can be very focused and also be very relaxed.
As we become older, I think we are better able to handle pressure—better than younger people. I think this is due to our experience. Experience is a very valuable thing. It can give us a strong sense of power to make judgments. I think my growth is the result of many trials and tribulations.
Have you ever experienced burnout?
QZ: Of course! But I am the kind of person who can wake up full of energy after a good night’s sleep. This may be related to my personality. If I don’t have work, I may feel unwell. But when I have a fulfilling workday, I feel very happy.
A colleague, also a business partner, once asked me, “Do you love yourself? You are so tired every day. Have you ever thought about your health?” I remember telling him, “Have you ever thought that maybe I was born this way? I am just full of energy every day. I love to work. Without work, I think I would collapse.”
This is just my personality. I need to work, and I get energised by my work.
I do admit that there have been times when I feel dispirited, times when I doubt myself, especially when I am unable to achieve a breakthrough. But I always try to get back up. I would be anxious to solve the problem. During times like these, I would try to read up, relax, and re-energise myself.
I may even decide not to do livestreaming. There was a time when I did not livestream for six months. However, when I came back, I was even stronger and more ready to go. That’s what rest gives you.
If you are working all the time, you have no time to reflect. When you reflect, you need to quieten down to review what had gone before. This is essential. You cannot be running all the time. Your engine and your body functions will run into problems. So, I am quite willing to take breaks to stop and reflect.
You’re currently collaborating with LYI, a luxury skincare brand from Singapore. What attracted you to LYI, and what excites you most about this partnership?
QZ: Their products are based on gemstone mineral-based moisturising ingredients, and I really believe in the scientific research and technical advancement behind the products. I believe that the moisturising energy from these minerals can really help the skin. Hence, I really admire these outstanding trailblazers and the work they do.
Furthermore, with regards to the LYI brand, in terms of their details of packaging, their concept, and their products’ effectiveness, I think they win hands down over other cosmetic products I am aware of. This is why I really value this collaboration—but also because of the founder’s personal charm, plus the fact that the products are using gemstone minerals.
There is a small detail in the brochure that says, “I’m not trying to make you wear gems, I want you to become a gem.” All women want to be like gems—eternal and young. From this, I believe that they are genuinely trying to build a legitimate brand, rather than peddling a false concept.
And as a science student, I also understand the difficulty in extracting active ingredients from minerals. I believe a brand based on actual capability and strength will do very well.
On the subject of skincare, how do you prioritise this in your own life?
QZ: No matter how tired I am, I will definitely spend at least half an hour every night doing skincare. Because after all, I have to face the anxieties of the middle-aged and elderly.
I don’t believe that we can rely on a one-time injection to save the day. We need to be diligent in our skincare every day through slow and steady care. So, usually, I would go to a beauty salon once a week, and then after work at home, I might take a soak in the tub if there is time. If not, I would still definitely at least do some facial skincare.
Let’s talk about diet. How does diet play a role in your daily health routine?
QZ: As both my subordinates and fans look up to me as an example and an idol, they are very concerned about what I eat and what I do. During my live streams, I would subtly share my skincare and healthcare knowledge and experience.
As I had gone through two major operations before, I do have a lot of life experience in these areas to share. And they are willing to listen to me, which is good. In terms of my diet and skincare, I always ensure that what I consume and use is made from natural ingredients.
We have come to the end of our interview. A quick one: what advice would you give to aspiring influencers or entrepreneurs looking to build their career?
QZ: I think believing in yourself is key. As long as you have the confidence, you can start a business at any time. It is never too late. And everyone always says that opportunities arise only when things are bad, so you must believe in yourself.
Nowadays, we can be considered young even at the age of 45 as we are in the era of longevity, where advanced technology and medicine are prolonging life. If we have another 50 years ahead of us, the first 20 years of our life can be used to lay a solid foundation.
If you fall down, you will heal and learn from it. You will gain experience and become hardier. Believe in yourself, really. You can be a super idol, and shine like a gem, just like gold and diamonds.
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