Screenshot from media reports

Gold consumption has recently been on the rise, and turning idle gold jewelry into "golden nail art" has become a Chinese New Year trend among young people, China National Radio (CNR) reported. The new trend has sparked heated discussions online.

On the eve of the 2026 Chinese New Year, Lin Yue (pseudonym) adorned her nails with more than six grams of gold ornaments. Lin said this set of "golden armor" nails uses nearly 10,000 yuan ($1,455) worth of gold at current market prices, sourced from her former earrings and necklace, per CNR News.

She paid 1,200 yuan in labor costs to have gold ornaments applied to her nails. "My friends all say it looks stunning. I feel it carries more ceremonial significance than simply buying a gold necklace or wearing a gold bracelet."

Owners of several high-end nail salons in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and other cities said that the number of customers decorating their fingernails with gold has increased this year, CNR reported. 

A staff member at a high-end nail salon in Chengdu said one customer brought in gold ornaments worth 40,000 yuan, asking the salon to cut and apply them onto her nails, according to the report.

A salon owner with over a dozen nail stores in Beijing said that incorporating gold into nail art is not simply about price or value preservation. "Gold is simply being used as one design element among others," the owner said. A person in charge at a well-known gold jewelry brand also said that young people's expectations for gold focus on "pleasing themselves."

"Gold-adorned nail art has also captured widespread attention online. Some netizens have hailed it as a burgeoning trend, commenting that "young people are about prioritizing personal happiness." However, others have expressed concerns regarding potential gold wear and the risk of loss. 

Additionally, some nail salon owners are worried that offering gold accessories or engaging in tie-in sales could expose them to legal risks, as such practices, without authorization from the central bank, CNR reported.

"Even if the customer is informed and consents, unqualified recycling could still face administrative penalties," Zheng Yang, a lawyer from BZW Law Firm in Beijing, was quoted as saying. He added that if such practices become widespread across the industry, their nature will change and may evolve into disguised illegal gold trading activities.

Global Times