Celebrity Life
From Boucheron to Louis Vuitton, the Most Jaw-Dropping Jewels From Paris High-Jewelry Week
How Cindy Chao Celebrated Becoming the First Jeweler to Join France’s Order of Arts and Letters
Cindy Chao’s Luxurious Shanghai Showroom is a Jewel on the Bund
Jewellery artist Cindy Chao makes a grand entrance in mainland China with an impressive and luxurious showroom in Shanghai, envisioned and created in much the same way as her jewels – with meticulous attention to detail and exceptional quality.
Cindy Chao The Art Jewel has just opened a luxurious private showroom in Shanghai – and along The Bund, no less. And as Chao endeavours to strengthen her presence in this important luxury market, she set her sights on one of the waterfront’s most prestigious addresses, the Somekh Building, home also to the Rockbund Art Museum. She spared no expense for the project, bringing together some of the world’s most esteemed artists and designers to create a space worthy to present her art jewels.
The jewellery artist reunited with renowned Dutch architect Tom Postma, with whom she collaborated to design her booth at TEFAF Maastricht last year. A long-time admirer of Postma, Chao instantly formed a connection with him, sharing his views on creating designs that are practical as much as they’re beautiful. For the Cindy Chao Shanghai Maison – as the space is called – Postma took cues from the architectural elements of the Somekh, bringing its facade into the showroom and later making that the prevailing theme of its interiors.
The space is teeming with both Eastern and Western influences. an approach Chao also famously adapts in her jewels. The design at the entrance references early Eastern and Western religious architecture, while timber panels on either side were sculpted by a Dutch master carver. A focal point in the showroom, however, is a bronze showcase sculpted by Postma himself, where Chao’s masterpieces are presented.
The showroom’s stately 400kg bronze door was designed by French-Swedish artist Ingrid Donat; as imposing at it’s stunning, it comprises eight hand-carved bronze panels. If that doesn’t take the breath away, the VIP room’s golden back wall certainly will – it’s designed with Baka patterns inspired by the primitive and tribal art that’s also found in the same space (also a creation of Donat). The patterns were hand-made on aluminium, with patina applied to make it appear to come alive.
It’s also hard to miss a pair of magnificent cabinets with Chinese lacquered panels, which were customised by French designer Hervé Van der Straeten and took more than 1,200 hours to complete. All this is presented under ambient lighting, which not only gives the otherwise luxurious space a warm and welcoming atmosphere, but also highlights the rich textures and dimensions of its interiors.
While Chao’s extraordinary art jewels are most certainly the highpoint of any visit, viewing them in such an alluringly tasteful environment will surely heighten the experience a hundredfold.
The post Cindy Chao’s Luxurious Shanghai Showroom is a Jewel on the Bund appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
The Most Beautiful Nature-Inspired Jewellery Pieces in 2020
Mother Nature is a muse that never goes out of style.
Jewellers are flexing their creative muscles by immortalising nature’s fleeting moments and interpreting them into abstract or realistic creations. Here are our favourite nature-inspired jewellery designs for 2020.
Tiffany & Co
One of the 20th century’s most gifted artists, Jean Schlumberger is famous for spectacular bejewelled objects that reference flora and fauna. His genius is evidenced here in this platinum-set Baguette Fringe necklace from Tiffany’s latest high jewellery collection – Legendary Designs of Jean Schlumberger.
Inspired by the elegant fluidity of seaweed, this creation features the juxtaposition of angular lines and soft circles realised through the use of over 23 carats of baguette diamonds and round brilliant diamonds weighing more than 62 carats. This piece is crowned with an elegant blue sapphire clasp.
Van Cleef & Arpels
The Tendresse Étincelante earrings are one of three recently released high jewellery pieces paying homage to creations that belonged to some of the maison’s leading patrons. Inspired by the Van Cleef & Arpels earrings gifted by Aristotle Onassis to Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis in 1968 as a wedding gift, this pair features, on each side, a blossoming corolla that unfurls around a precious pear-shaped diamond.
Set in white gold, they are completed by a pair of detachable pear-shaped diamond pendants. Cut from the same rough stone, both gems weigh a total of 20.21 carats.
Bulgari
Barocko, the maison’s latest high jewellery collection, captures the magnificence and beauty of Rome’s Baroque period of artistic and architectural heritage. Recurrent elements of the iconography of the time, such as plumage (a symbol of hope and faith), take centre stage in this platinum-set Precious Feathers necklace. A regal 10.27-carat pear-shaped Colombian emerald steals the spotlight, while brilliant-cut diamonds accentuate it. Additionally, the pendant can be detached to transform the piece into a discreet choker.
Chopard
Another conversation piece from Swiss jeweller Chopard’s nature-inspired Red Carpet jewellery collection for 2020 is this Swan ring, set in Fairmined- certified ethical 18k white gold. Intricately crafted in ceramic with diamond pavé wings, the lifelike birds cradle a stunning 9.1-carat white opal cabochon sourced from Mexico.
Cartier
Nature is interpreted as an abstract blend of wilderness and fantasy in the Parisian house’s latest high jewellery collection, [Sur]naturel. One of the standout pieces is the white gold-set Tillandsia Necklace – named after a perennial flowering plant with exposed roots. A highlight here is a pair of rare oval-shaped beryls – weighing 83.23 and 81.09 carats respectively – that seem to hover above a lattice of pavé diamonds. The plant’s rosettes are presented in pink rutilated quartz, and yellow and earth-toned diamonds.
Harry Winston
Harry Winston's Water Collection is an elegant take on the forms of the precious element as it interacts with the natural world. Showcasing 53.98 carats of gleaming marquise and pear-shaped diamonds, the striking platinum-set River Necklace mimics the fluidity and flow of water cascading elegantly down the wearer’s neck.
Cindy Chao
The 2020 Black Label Masterpiece VI “Reflection Bangle” has two interpretations: Jewellery artist Cindy Chao’s reflection on her family heritage and the reflection of nature’s landscape on water. The creation draws inspiration from Impressionist art, capturing the moment when light hits the water’s surface. Seven bright non-heated Ceylon sapphires with hints of purple are stunningly reminiscent of Impressionist indigos. They are juxtaposed with rose-cut sapphires to create a mirror effect, while brilliant-cut and Fancy Coloured diamonds spread across the bangle evoke the imagery of rippling water.
Representing Chao’s family legacy is the central branch-like vein that features six flexible articulations, and is set with 1,500 yellow diamonds from light yellow to deep brown. Forged in 18k white and yellow gold, the piece dazzles with the brilliance of 1,881 stones weighing 321.79 carats.
Graff
The British jeweller’s latest Pavé Butterfly Collection reimagines one of its cherished motifs in creations that capture the delicate creature’s ethereal beauty. Set with 17.98 carats of diamonds, the necklace features butterflies highlighted by dazzling marquise diamonds. Their sculpted wings are accentuated by pavé diamonds that gleam with intense luminosity.
This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore
(Art direction: Aaron Lee for Prestige Singapore)
The post The Most Beautiful Nature-Inspired Jewellery Pieces in 2020 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
#FindCindyChao For a Chance to Win A Smart Writing Set Ellipse from Moleskine
Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.
A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.
On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.
Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.
On land and sea
These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.
The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.
Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.
The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.
In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."
The post #FindCindyChao For a Chance to Win A Smart Writing Set Ellipse from Moleskine appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Grit, Guts and Glory: Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao’s Incredible Journey So Far
Fifty metres underground — this is the depth that local winemakers chose when they decided to store 10,000 wine bottles in the Aven d'Orgnac caves, an underground tourist attraction located at the southern end of the limestone plateau of the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
The experiment began in March 2018, when a new storage facility was specially created in a disused access tunnel to allow wine to mature in what amounts to a highly stable and peaceful environment.
A living product that ages best in undisturbed darkness, the wine will have benefited from ideal conditions: A constant temperature of around 12°C and an all-year-long rate of humidity of over 95%.
On December 12, 1,000 bottles of Côtes du Vivarais "Grand Aven 2017" from this treasure trove will be passed from hand to hand by a chain of human volunteers who will bring them back to the surface after two years underground. Thereafter, they will go under the hammer with a range of other local vintages in an auction with modest reserve prices.
Lots on offer will include 150 magnums of Terra Helvorum 2017 starting at 30 euros, 350 bottles of 2015 Terra Helvorum for as little as 15 euros and 350 bottles of Grand Aven 2016 from just 10 euros.
On land and sea
These days, experiments to store wine deep underground are very much in vogue in France. On June 3 of this year, 500 bottles were placed in racks at a depth of 103 metres in caves in Padirac under the watchful eye of Serge Dubs, the Best Sommelier of the World in 1989.
The first of these to return to the surface will be brought up for an initial tasting in the spring of 2021. And let's not forget that this experiment is focused on a very particular wine: A Clos Triguedina Cahors, christened Cuvée Probus, which has been produced to honour the 130-year anniversary of the Padirac Chasm.
Surprisingly enough, this new approach to maturing wine was initially inspired by a find at sea. In 2010, divers in the Baltic discovered a wreck containing what turned out to be a cargo of champagne, which was probably on its way to 1840s Russia.
The wave of experimentation that is now ongoing began when the bubbly, which was made by such houses as Veuve Clicquot, Heidsieck and the now defunct Juglar, was discovered to still be delicious after some 170 years under water.
In Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the French Basque country, winemaker Emmanuel Poirmeur has registered a patent for a process that involves vinifying wine in special vats at a depth of 15 metres under water. For its part, Leclerc-Briant set a record when it vinified one of its champagnes at a depth of 60 meters under the Atlantic in 2012, not surprisingly the vintage was christened "Abyss."
The post Grit, Guts and Glory: Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao’s Incredible Journey So Far appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
The Statement High Jewellery to Obsess Over This Season
The latest gemstone jewellery designs scream loud colours and big statements. Think opals, pink diamonds, spinels, and conch pearls from jewellers such as Graff, Harry Winston, and Bvlgari.
Pink Diamond
The strongest naturally occurring substance on earth, diamonds were first referenced in Sanskrit texts as early as 400BC. Coloured diamonds, however, are extremely rare with only one natural coloured stone found for every 10,000 colourless diamonds. Factors that determine a coloured diamond’s value include hue, tone and saturation. Microscopic amounts of trace elements and distortions, pressure or carbon atoms interacting with an element can effect a colour change in diamonds. For instance, the presence of hydrogen creates pink, purple and red diamonds, while boron absorption results in blue diamonds. The mines where these rarities are discovered are quickly becoming depleted, making them even more heart-stoppingly expensive.
This Graff white and rose gold set ring flaunts a 5.63-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid purplish pink diamond, which is flanked by two fancy intense pink pear-shaped diamonds. Cut and polished from an extremely rare 13.33-carat pink rough diamond discovered at the renowned Letseng mine in Lesotho, it was purchased by Laurence Graff for over US$8.7 million (S$12.1 million), breaking the record dollar per carat price of any Letseng diamond.
Black Opal
This glittering “black” gem with a holographic effect sets itself apart from the other types of opals, thanks to carbon and iron oxide traces. Its unusually dark body tone also allows the rainbow-like hues to radiate more vividly than in lighter opals. Australia produces over 90 per cent of the world’s opals, with Lightning Ridge being the most prestigious and frequently featured in high jewellery for its rare black opals. They are so much harder to find now that an exceptional gem-quality specimen can fetch up to A$15,000 (S$14,550) per carat. The scarcity of this delicate mineral (its hardness is 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale) is further compounded by high fuel prices and lease fees that make mining very costly.
A ribbon motif highlights Tiffany & Co.’s unparalleled level of craftsmanship in this remarkable platinum-set brooch. Showcasing an oval cabochon black opal of over 37 carats with baguette sapphires and diamonds totalling more than 23 carats, this piece’s clean and organic aesthetics belie its complexity of craftsmanship.
Spessartite Garnet
Although most spessartites originate from Africa today, the vivid orange or reddish orange mineral got its name from Spessart, Bavaria, in Germany where it was first discovered. One of the rarer garnets, it is an idiochromatic gem, which means it is coloured by a fundamental element – manganese in this instance – in its composition rather than impurities. Combining a hardness of 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale with excellent brilliance and sparkle, the gem is attractive to collectors as it is almost always completely natural and untreated. Since large, top-grade garnets are no longer found in mines today, one with a saturated pure mandarin orange hue is the rarest and most valuable.
This spectacular Harry Winston ring from the Winston Candy collection features a 16.69-carat oval spessartite garnet in a vivid mandarin, which is set on platinum in bold contrast with pear-shaped turquoise cabochons and scintillating round diamonds.
Imperial topaz
The most sought after and valuable natural topaz, this gem’s name originated in 19th-century Russia to honour the czar, as the Ural Mountain mines were a leading source of the stone. Like the colours of the setting sun, imperial topaz is defined to include yellow, red, pink, lavender-pink or pink- orange, with the natural pink variety being very rare. While orange, pink and red topaz now come mainly from Ouro Prêto in Brazil, fine pink topaz also hails from Pakistan’s Katlang area. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, and is also highly prized for its brilliance and glassy lustre with few inclusions.
From Cartier’s High Jewellery collection Magnitude, the enthralling Mauna necklace showcases three bicoloured Brazilian imperial topazes –two octagonal and one pear-shaped with an ombré effect – weighing a total of 21.91 carats. Accompanied by diamonds, sapphires and rutilated quartz, the striking colours and design cascade like lava flowing from volcano.
Conch pearl
Beloved for their pretty hues, which range from white to pink to golden, conch pearls are among the rarest and priciest pearl types in the world. A calcareous concretion produced by the queen conch mollusc, the pearls most often used in high jewellery are pink and oval-shaped. The finest specimens also bear a flame-like motif and a smooth porcelain surface. About 10,000 conches must be harvested before a single pearl can be found, with less than 10 per cent considered gem quality.
The 2020 Black Label Masterpiece V Cameron Falls Earrings from Cindy Chao’s Aquatic Collection are inspired by Canada’s Cameron Falls, which is renowned for its pink hue in the rainy spring/summer season due to the region’s similarly coloured sedimentary rocks. The main highlights of this sculptural creation – a pair of natural conch pearls totalling 10.24 carats – are accentuated by lavish streams of pink sapphires and purple garnets set on anodised titanium. The movement of water is depicted by white diamonds and fancy-coloured rose-cut diamonds.
Spinel
This gemstone comes in a rainbow spectrum of colours that range from intense red and hot pink, to shades of blue and purple, and even grey and black. The most precious hues are ruby red from the famed Mogok Valley in Myanmar and cobalt blue from Vietnam’s Luc Yen mine. Spinel has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, and a signature property of the gem is that it is singly refractive. Light enters the crystal and only bends in one beam, resulting in it being more brilliant than rubies or sapphires.
Gracing this ring set in ethical 18k white gold from Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection 2020 is a 4.7-carat pear-shaped spinel, two half-moon diamonds and brilliants. Its crimson hue is so vivid that it is little wonder that red spinels have been long mistaken for rubies until modern-day technological advancements in gemology could differentiate the two.
Rubellite
Highly prized and priced because of its rarity and vibrant beauty, the rubellite hails from the colourful tourmaline family. With its name derived from the Latin word rubellus, which means reddish, it features trace amounts of manganese that gives it its colour, which varies from luscious red to violet to dramatic pink. This is one of the few gemstones where the presence of inclusions is a benefit. Mainly found in Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria and Pakistan, a genuine rubellite must hold its colour regardless of the light source.
A drop-cut 66.41-carat rubellite with outstanding transparency and intense colour steals the limelight on the Meraviglia collar from Bvlgari’s Cinemagia high jewellery collection. Set in 18k white gold, it also features 10 pear-shaped pink tourmalines and amethysts totalling 9.88 carats, five pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds of 5.12 carats, and 116.93 carats of dazzling diamonds knitted into a sensual, flexible and precious piece of lace.
Hawk's eye
Famed for its chatoyancy (the optical effect of a reflective band of light), this gemstone is a pseudomorph of quartz – a mineral that is replaced by another over time while retaining its external shape. Hawk’s eye is essentially an unoxidised form of tiger’s eye. Its formation begins when blue crocidolite is dissolved by quartz and traces of iron oxide remain. Less iron results in the blue hue of hawk’s eye, while more iron gives it the brownish gold colour of tiger’s eye. With a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, the colour of the opaque gemstone with a silky lustre ranges from blue-grey to blue-green.
From Chaumet’s collection of Trésors d’Ailleurs High Jewellery rings, a deep blue sugarloaf hawk’s eye takes centre stage on the Artemisia ring. Set in 18k yellow gold with rock crystal and brilliant-cut diamonds, the regal piece combines a sense of monumental splendour with intricate details.
Art Direction: Aaron Lee
The post The Statement High Jewellery to Obsess Over This Season appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Art Jewels to Feast your Eyes On
I've become rather familiar with the work of jewellery artist Cindy Chao having covered her for years, but it’s amazing the kind of effect seeing her pieces in the flesh still has on me. The images we see on paper--or on the screen for that matter--regardless of how sharp and true to their form as they are, really don’t do them justice.
Last week, Chao brought four of her Black Label Collection pieces to her private showroom in Central, to give select media and prospective buyers a chance to see them up close. Three of those pieces, if not for the pandemic, would have been across the globe in the United Kingdom for Masterpiece London, a highly prestigious exhibition Chao has been participating in for the last two years. This year, the exhibition was not entirely cancelled but went online from 22-28 June instead.
For the occasion, Chao's showroom located at a building in Central that offered sweeping views of the Victoria Harbour, was filled with fresh foliage that opulently decorated every corner of the space, and crept up the glass displays that held the jewels. Chao also presented a selection from her White Label Collection, or jewels that can be reproduced and in some instances are smaller, subtler versions of her usually larger-than-life Black Label pieces. These White Label pieces are considered Chao's entry-level jewels, which would cost upwards of US$50,000 (or approximately HK$385,000).
There was much to take in at the exhibition but below are three of my highlights that stood out.
2019 Black Label Masterpiece X Emerald Ribbon Brooch
The 2019 Black Label Masterpiece X Emerald Ribbon Brooch is set with an extremely rare 38.68-carat vivid green Colombian emerald. The octagonal-cut emerald sits at the centre of four, multi-dimensional, organically shaped ribbons encrusted with over 2,600 gems, and its edges set with sapphires and colour-changing alexandrites. As seen in many of Chao’s previous Black Label Masterpiece jewels, the Emerald Ribbon Brooch’s upper layer is fitted with a flexible mechanism, allowing the piece to have a trembling effect when worn.
2020 Black Label Masterpiece VI Reflection Bangle
It’s in pieces like the 2020 Black Label Masterpiece VI Reflection Bangle that we see Cindy Chao live up to her jewellery artist label. Here, she skilfully combines her vision, innovation and craftsmanship. The Reflection bangle is inspired by Chinese landscape paintings and pays homage to her heritage while looking to the gracefulness and agility of water for inspiration. The piece is set with seven 8- to 18-carat purplish, non-heated Ceylon sapphires, which are set alongside a cluster of rose-cut sapphires, creating a mirror effect. Water ripples are made with white and fancy-coloured diamonds sprinkled on either side of the bangle, while a branch-like motif is set with over 1,500 yellow diamonds.
White Label Collection Branch Bangle
Hailing from Chao's White Label Four Seasons Collection, the Branch Bangle is a wrist-worthy piece that's elegant, sophisticated, and for those who favour more subtle pieces, is just the perfect jewel to have. The bangle is encrusted with 1,114 white and yellow diamonds totalling over 52 carats, and made in 18K white gold and rose gold.
The post Art Jewels to Feast your Eyes On appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao Brings Masterpiece London to Hong Kong
Coravin, the wine lover's dream device that lets you pour wine without uncorking, is back with brand new models.
As fans of the smart wine preservation system, we have observed Coravin for some time and seen the brand expand with new technology every year. Now, they have extended their product lineup with the launch of new systems -- Models Three and Six. What's more, all new and existing models have been equipped with SmartClamps™, which, prior to the launch, was only available on Model Eleven. The new easy-on and easy-off clamps are designed to go over the neck of the bottle and push down firmly on the handle in one fluid motion, making the system even easier to use.
Coravin's wine access technology is all down to the hollow needle that is inserted through the cork, before the system pressurises the bottle with Argon (an inert, colourless and odourless) gas, to pour the wine out. Once poured, and the Coravin is taken off the bottle, the cork reseals naturally -- allowing wine to stay fresh for months on end, and years if needed.
The new systems also comes with a Coravin Screw Cap which allows users to enjoy new world wine (with screw caps) the same way as old world wine (cork) bottles, preserving them for up to three months.
So, with four Coravin Models in total, Model Three, Five, Six and Eleven, which model is the right one for you? Well, let's find out shall we.
Coravin Model Three
Details: Model Three is an upgraded version of Coravin's Model One and features a clean and simple, user-friendly and functional design in matte texture.
Perfect for: the everyday wine drinker.
Price: HK$2,080
Coravin Model Five
Details: Model Five is not available for retail as it has been made specifically for trade. The design is simply elegant but durable.
Perfect for: those in the industry who favour classic design with metallic accents.
Price: email for trade price
Coravin Model Six
Details: Model Six is the upgraded version of the popular Model Two Elite edition, it also features vibrant colours with chrome accents.
Perfect for: luxury style and fashion lovers.
Price: HK$3,580
Coravin Model Eleven
Details: Model Eleven is the smartest device of the Coravin family. It is the first bluetooth connected and fully automatic system. It comes with LED display, glass pour optimisation, and connection to the Coravin Moments app, which tracks system statistics and advises on wine pairings with food, music and more.
Perfect for: technology and gadget enthusiasts who love a varied wine experience.
Price: HK$6,880
The post Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao Brings Masterpiece London to Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.