A Jongno jade ring tour is now a practical shopping route for people searching for affordable, distinctive accessories in Seoul’s jewelry district. Reports from June and July 2026 describe young shoppers, foreign visitors, and SNS-driven interest converging around Jongno Jade Rings, with specialist shops becoming the center of the trend.
The appeal is not only nostalgia. Jade rings are being presented as a lower-cost alternative to gold and silver, with varied colors, individual patterns, and a retro mood that has made them easier to style as everyday fashion items. News1 reported that Instagram posts introducing routes such as “Jongno jade ring course” and “jade bracelet exploration course” exceeded 5,000, while a third-generation jade shop operator said sales had doubled from the previous year and that the share of foreign customers had grown.1
Jongno Jade Ring Tour: Key Stops and Planning Facts

The most source-backed starting point is Jongno’s jewelry street, where multiple reports placed the activity. Newsis visited a jade specialist shop in Jongno-gu’s jewelry district on July 6, 2026, and described shoppers in their 20s and 30s choosing rings in different colors and shapes. The same report said SNS posts about “jade ring tours” around Jongno followed public attention to BTS V and actor Lim Ji-yeon wearing jade accessories.2
Marie Claire Korea named two Jongno purchase locations: Yejak Jewelry at 32 Donhwamun-ro, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and Oksibang at 37-7 Jongno 3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It also mentioned Rosedor, a department-store brand, as a place where jade accessories were being introduced, though the Jongno tour angle is most directly supported by the two Jongno addresses.3
| What to Check | Source-Supported Detail | Why It Matters for a Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Main area | Jongno-gu jewelry street is repeatedly described as the center of jade ring shopping.12 | Plan the visit around Jongno rather than treating jade rings as a general Seoul-wide search. |
| Named Jongno shops | Yejak Jewelry: 32 Donhwamun-ro, 1st floor; Oksibang: 37-7 Jongno 3-ga.3 | These are the clearest published addresses for a self-guided route. |
| Price signal | MBN reported an on-site explanation that jade rings cost around 100,000 won, relatively cheaper than precious metals.4 | Use this as a broad budget reference, not a fixed price list. |
| Crowd signal | Newsis reported that weekend afternoons could have waiting lines at a Jongno jade shop.2 | A weekday or earlier visit may be easier if the goal is careful comparison. |
| Quality check | A Jongno jade shop representative said checking the type and quality of the raw stone is important.2 | Ask what kind of stone is used before buying, especially if comparing several rings. |
For a simple route, start with the named Jongno addresses, then compare nearby specialist shops within the jewelry district. The source material does not provide opening hours, return policies, stock lists, or exact ring models, so those details should be confirmed directly with each shop before making a dedicated trip.
What to Budget and What to Ask Before Buying
The reported price range is one reason jade rings are drawing attention. MBN described the rings as being around 100,000 won and relatively affordable compared with precious metals, while Channel A reported that jade items could be bought for roughly under 100,000 won and highlighted their range of colors as a popularity factor among younger shoppers.45
Still, the practical approach is to treat those figures as a starting point. The provided sources do not establish a standard retail price, and they do not compare grades, widths, carving styles, or stone categories in detail. If you are comparing rings, ask the shop to explain the raw stone type, the quality basis, and whether the ring’s color and pattern are natural features of the material. That aligns with the Jongno shop representative’s buying caution that “checking the type and quality of the raw stone is important.”2
Demand can also affect the shopping experience. One Jongno jade shop operator told Newsis, “Now, about 90% are the younger generation,” while a jewelry shop owner interviewed by MBN said, “Young customers are 90%, and mother customers are 10%.”24 News1 also quoted Lee Jin-wook, a jade shop operations manager, saying that on busy days “100 to 200 people” come by.1
Those crowd signals matter if you are planning a tour rather than a single purchase. If you want time to compare colors, shapes, and fit, avoid treating the visit like a quick checkout stop. The sources specifically mention weekend afternoon lines, so allowing extra time is the safer plan.
Quick FAQ
Where should a Jongno jade ring tour begin?
The clearest source-backed area is Jongno-gu’s jewelry street. For named stops, Marie Claire Korea listed Yejak Jewelry at 32 Donhwamun-ro, 1st floor, and Oksibang at 37-7 Jongno 3-ga.3
Why are jade rings popular with younger shoppers now?
Reports point to several overlapping reasons: lower prices than gold and silver, retro fashion interest, SNS styling posts, varied jade colors, and attention after BTS V and actor Lim Ji-yeon were seen wearing jade accessories.6 !Jongno jade ring tour shops and crowd patterns A Jongno jade ring tour works best as a comparison visit: check the named shops, look across the jewelry street, ask about the raw stone, and use the reported 100,000-won level only as a rough budget signal. With young shoppers and foreign visitors adding to the traffic, the most useful plan is to give yourself enough time to compare quality, color, and fit before choosing a ring.
References
- 요즘 MZ는 값비싼 금·실버 대신 '이 반지' 낀다…BTS도 착용 (뉴스1/Daum, 2026-07-10)
- "할머니 반지인 줄 알았는데"…구식 취급받던 '옥반지'의 화려한 부활[출동!인턴] (뉴시스, 2026-07-08)
- BTS 뷔가 말아주는 옥반지 트렌드 (마리끌레르 코리아, 2026-07-02)
- 돌아온 젤리슈즈·할머니 옥반지…'개성·실속' 잡고 다시 뜨는 옛 감성 (MBN, 2026-07-09)
- 금 대신 옥?…MZ, 옥에 빠진 이유는 (채널A, 2026-06-13)
- 금값 뛰자 '옥' 뜬다…MZ세대 사로잡은 의외의 트렌드 (한경비즈니스, 2026-06-18)