Gold Jewelry Demand Up 17% in 2010 led by India and Asia While Demand in U.S. and Europe Remains Sluggish

Annual demand for gold jewelry rose 17 percent to 2,059.6 tons as Asian consumers continue to drive jewelry demand, the World Gold Council reports. The rise in annual average prices over the same period was 26 percent.

In value terms, this resulted in record annual jewelry demand of $81 billion in 2010, according to the WGC’s quarterly Gold Demand Trends report, a 47 percent increase over 2009