Beijing jewelry fair dazzles

For those who like their bling, this one's for you. Beijing is holding off its third annual International Jewelry Fair, and it's bigger and better than ever. Featuring hundreds of vendors of gem stones, jewelry, and ornaments from China and beyond, the fair is a candy store for luxury lovers alike. CCTV host Raquel Olsson got to go on the opening day of the fair.

A dizzying array of sparkling gem stones filling stall after stall is overwhelming.

The jewelry ranges across the board, from time-honored classics like pearls and jade to more unconventional stones like aquamarine and pink emerald.

Jade, a culturally and historically significant gem stone for the Chinese, shows an impressively imaginative range of creations. From unique carvings like this delicate parrot, to these cigarette holders, jade lovers can definitely take their pick among a vast variety of creative ornaments.

In fact, the creative spirit of jewelry as an art is being tested at the jewelry competition being held at the fair.

We spoke to one of the contestants, Mei Guohua, a veteran jade carver whose works are being specially displayed. His pieces are praised for being carved entirely out of one stone.

He said, "This is a very colorful type of jade, called Alashan Jade. It is produced in Inner Mongolia."

"The piece is called 'Five Thousand Years of the Chinese Nation.' It is a miniature of the Chinese culture. It is a book taken from the mythical Chinese world creator, Pan Gu, which records the key developments of the Chinese civilization. You see, this is the ancient oracle. Over here is the the symbol of Taichi. On both sides we have the Chinese dragon and phoenix, and then down here the Terracotta Army, and here the ancient farming and cauldron, here the Great Wall.

But it's not just jade that Chinese people are after. Over the past years, they have had a growing interest in unique gem stones found abroad.

Over in the international section of the fair, more rare jewels from abroad like India and Africa are drawing crowds.

And such rare, geo-specific stones come with a price. I got to try on a luxurious and unique item that bore quite a price tag.