Celebrity Life

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.

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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."

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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.

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

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