Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Group unveils $115,000 gold AirPods case for China’s ultra-rich

The jeweler presented the items on its official Weibo account last week. Among them were gold-inlaid hair clips priced at CNY2,080 yuan each, containing 0.42 grams of gold, according to the South China Morning Post.

The AirPods case, crafted from roughly 350 grams of gold, was produced as a single piece and sold in February at a company’s store in Shanghai.

Chow Tai Fook said it also accepts custom orders for the product, with prices linked to prevailing gold rates. Production typically takes two to three months.

While some social media users praised the design, comparing it to a piece of art, much of the online discussion centered on the steep price. “Poverty really limits my imagination,” one user wrote.

For the jeweler, the collection reflects a strategic effort to tap into China’s growing high-net-worth consumer segment, even as the country targets economic growth of 4.5–5% this year, the slowest pace since 1991.

Gold-inlaid hair clips. Photo courtesy of Chow Tai Fook

“The high-net-worth consumer market in China continues to demonstrate strong resilience to economic volatility,” said Annie Wong, chief operating officer of Chow Tai Fook Jewelry.

She added that distinctive creations such as the limited-edition gold AirPods case could attract sophisticated Chinese buyers seeking both functional objects and collectible luxury items.

“Even when the broader market is weak, there will always be pockets of opportunity driven by niche demand. Not all products are designed for high-volume sales,” said Sandy Lim, a China consumer analyst at S&P Global Ratings.

“Consumers are seeking pieces they can relate to – items that reflect their personality and lifestyle. As a result, design has become an increasingly important factor in purchase decisions for wearable gold jewelry.”

There are reasons for businesses to tap in to the high-end market in China. The country now has more billionaires than any other nation, driven by stock market gains and the rise of artificial intelligence, according to the Hurun Global Rich List.

The Hurun Group counted 1,110 billionaires in China out of a global total of 4,020, surpassing the United States.

Amid the economy’s slow retail sales growth, Chow Tai Fook appointed David Tse, former creative director of Hermes China, as global creative director in early March as part of its push to transform into a luxury-focused brand.