The world’s biggest fine jewellery factory: How Pandora aims to make more and pollute less in Vietnam

Pandora, the world's largest jewelry brand, has unveiled its largest fine jewelry crafting facility in Vietnam. Located in Ho Chi Minh City, the factory is expected to employ 7,000 people upon completion. With the ability to produce up to 60 million pieces of jewelry annually, the expansion will increase Pandora's manufacturing capacity by 50% compared to its previous levels.

CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier highlighted the facility's significance, stating that it allows the company to craft all its collections, assortments, and designs in various materials and techniques. The company's investment of $150 million (€132mn) in the Vietnam factory is dedicated to operating entirely on renewable electricity and utilizing 100% recycled gold and silver in jewelry production since 2024.

Pandora's CEO expressed the company's commitment to growing sustainably by increasing manufacturing capacity while reducing emissions. Gold's durability and design for a circular economy make it particularly suitable for repeated reuse. However, refining still requires energy to remove impurities from the metals.

The global jewelry market is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 4.1% between 2025 and 2028, significantly outpacing the clothing industry's growth rate. While Pandora's rise from a small Copenhagen shop to a global brand has been driven by its manufacturing in Thailand since 1989, the company faces challenges such as US import tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty in the United States, as well as past labor disputes.