Global sales of jewellery, including platinum, are set to increase by 4.6 per cent year-on-year until 2015, according to a new report.

Figures published by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC) reveal that sales of jewellery will reach US$185 billion in 2010, before hitting $230 billion by 2015.

The research, conducted by KPMG, has found that China and India will be the major driving force behind this growth and by 2015 will together be the market equivalent of the US.

Sanjay Kothari, chairman of the GJEPC, said: "Every individual player in this industry will have to work efficiently and professionally to take this industry to the next level."

The platinum jewellery sector has seen major gains in emerging markets such as India and China over the past 12 months and it is anticipated that demand for platinum jewellery will continue to grow in these areas into 2007.

It was reported in the Economic Times earlier this month that Indian women are moving towards a trend of wearing lighter jewellery, which in turn has made platinum more popular because of its weight.

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