International News
Gold, ‘Non-traditional reserve currencies’ eat into U.S. dollar’s reserve dominance: Wolf Richter
Gold and other reserve currencies – but not the euro or renminbi – are steadily eroding the U.S. dollar’s position as the world’s preeminent reserve asset, according to Wolf Richter, analyst and publisher of Wolf Street.
“The status of the US dollar as the dominant global reserve currency has helped the US fund its twin deficits, and thereby has enabled them: the huge fiscal deficit every year and the massive trade deficit every year,” Richter wrote in an article published Monday. “The reserve currency status comes from other central banks (not the Fed) having purchased trillions of USD-denominated assets such as Treasury securities, other government securities, corporate bonds, and even stocks. The dollar status as the dominant reserve currency has been crucial for the US, and as that dominance declines ever so slowly, risks pile up ever so slowly.”
Total holdings of USD-denominated securities by other central banks (not the Fed) fell by $59 billion to $6.63 trillion at the end of 2024, from $6.69 trillion at the end of 2023,” he noted. “And the dollar’s share declined to 57.8% of total allocated exchange reserves at the end of 2024, the lowest since 1994, down by 7.3 percentage points in 10 years, as central banks have been diversifying their holdings for years to assets denominated in currencies other than the dollar, and into gold.”
Record-high gold prices and continued geopolitical uncertainty have strengthened gold’s appeal as a safe-haven asset. However, these same factors also create challenges for the jewellery industry, as rising prices increase the cost of entry for consumers. In response, the industry is exploring product innovation to sustain demand. In Greater China, Hard Pure Gold is emerging as a strategic initiative designed to balance high purity, design flexibility, and affordability.
Promoted by the World Gold Council, Hard Pure Gold combines traditional purity levels—typically above 99%—with advanced manufacturing technologies such as electroforming and lost-wax casting. These processes increase the hardness of pure gold, allowing jewellers to create more intricate designs, improve durability, and support gemstone settings. At the same time, hollow-forming techniques enable lighter pieces that maintain visual impact while reducing overall weight and price.
The category also benefits from the introduction of an industry-wide standard in 2025, which clarified production guidelines and unified marketing terminology across manufacturers. Standardisation has helped build consumer trust and strengthened the positioning of Hard Pure Gold as a distinct product segment.
A key driver of its growth is changing consumer demographics. Traditionally, pure gold jewellery in China appealed primarily to middle-aged buyers who valued gold for wealth preservation. Hard Pure Gold, however, is attracting younger consumers aged 20–35 by offering contemporary designs, lighter weight, and lower entry prices without sacrificing purity. Surveys conducted by the World Gold Council indicate that it is currently the fastest-growing category within the gold jewellery segment in Greater China.
In a high-price environment, the ability to produce jewellery that looks substantial yet weighs as little as 1.5 grams helps make gold more accessible to new buyers. At the same time, increasing trade-in activity—where consumers exchange older jewellery for newer designs—encourages repeat purchases and keeps demand active.
From a strategic perspective, Hard Pure Gold demonstrates how technological innovation and coordinated industry standards can reshape consumer perception. By merging investment-grade purity with modern design and affordability, it offers a compelling pathway for sustaining gold jewellery demand in Greater China
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