Celebrity Life

ILIA founder Stanley Chu is determined to change people’s mind about jadeite through contemporary designs and education

While my classmates played with toy cars and Lego, I played with jadeite,” says Stanley Chu, co-founder of jadeite jewellery brand ILIA. He shares his fond memories as we sit at his Landmark boutique in Central, which opened earlier in the year. Starting ILIA was, in a way, a long time coming; Chu’s family has been in the jade business for more than 60 years, but largely in the oft-unseen and low-key business of wholesale.

Chu’s childhood home had a jade workshop attached to it, where his parents worked and their craftsmen cut and polished jadeite before turning it into jewellery. “I was exposed to jadeite at a very young age,” he says. “My sister and I knew how to appreciate jadeite even as children and we’d play games, like guessing how much the jadeite was worth.”

At that time, and indeed until now, his family business supplied the industry with some of the rarest and most precious jadeites. Eventually, through ILIA, it’s been able to use these precious stones in its own creations under its own brand name.

Chu partnered with a family friend who also happened to be one of the biggest jadeite collectors in the world. With their strong ties and network among Myanmar’s jadeite miners, coupled with their lifelong experience dealing with the gemstones and making top-quality jewellery, they’ve earned an unrivalled reputation in the industry. But it was their shared deep passion for the gem that sealed the deal.

“Appreciating the beauty of jadeite isn’t something people can learn easily; it’s something, I believe, that’s instilled or passed on from a parent to a child, or from an experienced craftsman to his apprentice,” Chu says. “I love jadeite; it’s in my blood. And my partner, my good friend, shares this sentiment – and through this brand we can share this passion to the world and educate people about this stone.”

Their design mantra? That no two jewellery pieces they make are alike, because indeed, no two jadeite pieces are alike. They also strive to change the misguided perceptions that people might have about jadeite, for instance that it’s for more mature wearers, and isn’t nearly as valuable as rubies, emeralds or sapphires. That attitude is completely unjustified, says Chu, as top-quality jadeite is in fact just as rare as exceptional pink and blue diamonds.

“Unfortunately, despite its rarity, top-quality jadeite is still grossly undervalued,” Chu explains. “Case in point, while the auction price of a top-quality white diamond is around US$150,000 per carat, or US$2.5 million per carat for a pink diamond, or US$300,000 per carat for emeralds, the highest record price per carat for an Imperial Green jadeite is only at US$120,000. But the reality is that Imperial Green jadeite, which is like the Pigeon’s Blood of rubies, is just as rare as top-grade fancy-colour diamonds.”

Thus, a major goal of ILIA is to change people’s perceptions of jadeite – and, according to Chu, the way to do that is to modernise its image while educating people of its intrinsic value. “The younger generation is hungry for information,” he says. “They ask questions, such as what’s the investment value of jadeite, so they must have access to this information.

However, traditional jadeite designs are keeping them away from purchasing this beautiful gemstone and so the most direct way to change their impression is to include innovative and contemporary designs in our collection, working with young jewellery and fashion designers, locally and overseas. We understand that looking cool is just as important as looking elegant for the millennials.”

In fact, it seems as if the gemstone that’s been an underdog for far too long is well on its way to becoming appreciated by a much wider and younger clientele, and acknowledged for the precious gem it truly is.

The post How ILIA is paving the way for Jadeite Jewellery to Shine appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

By now, your bosses and colleagues have probably seen more of your abode than you would've ever expected to show them.

With many of us working from home these days, meetings held over video conferencing apps the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams have become the new normal. Inevitably, this means letting colleagues into our residences — albeit virtually — and having them catch glimpses of it via our backdrop. Depending on where your workspace is located, this view could range from a boring blank wall to windows or cluttered bookshelves.

Your makeshift office may not be the most glamorous, but there are several easy interior design tricks that you can employ to quickly jazz up the background of your Zoom calls.

Textiles and cushions

If your workstation of choice is the couch or bed, all it takes is a few snazzy throw pillows wrapped in eye-catching fabrics and prints to provide visual interest in the space behind you. Consider dressing your cushions in the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli collection, which is inspired by modern art — specifically works by Henri Matisse, Vasilij Kandinskij and Paul Klee.

It showcases striking colour blocks embellished with embroideries, ikat details and intertwined motifs. These are available in various patterns and shades ranging from pastel to neutral hues. More details here.

Houseplants and greenery

Adding houseplants to your home office will help the space look less spartan and bland. Smaller plants like cacti, succulents and spider plants can be displayed on shelves or tables, while larger ones such as philodendrons, snake plants and ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem) can be placed on the floor to break the monotony of blank walls.

Online plant retailer Flora Houses offers a wide variety of houseplants that will thrive indoors and are generally low-maintenance. Its range includes Japanese fir, fiddle leaf fig and Bird of Paradise. The store provides free doorstep delivery with a minimum spend.

Artworks and paintings

Perhaps houseplants may seem like too much of a commitment, or you simply don't have green fingers. This is where paintings and art pieces make an easier alternative. You can simply hang a couple of them on the wall that constantly forms your video call backdrop.

An Andy Warhol or Basquiat will certainly impress your co-workers, but your art doesn't necessarily have to be expensive or by big name artists. Consider procuring artworks instead from indie galleries such as Odd One Out, which boasts an array of creations by local and international printmakers and illustrators. We can't take our eyes off the above acrylic painting by Micke Lindebergh, which is titled 'Small Yellow Flower Pot' and features colourful blooms accented by quirky squiggles and bright hues.

Statement ornaments and furniture

Inject a dose of quirk into your meeting setup by peppering your background with assorted decorative items and statement furniture pieces. These can be anything from figurines to colourful tiles and dramatic room dividers.

Our go-to is Lala Curio, which is a whimsical wonderland of objets d'art such as brass monkey sculptures, cloisonné birds, and, one of our favourites — an adorable trio of cranes adorned with rock crystal feathers and perched on crystal balls.

Wallpaper

Why settle for one specially curated work area, when you can turn your whole room into an Instagram-worthy space? Wallpaper is a bold and easy solution — if every wall in your room is clad in beautiful prints, you can essentially park yourself in any corner and still have an envy-inducing Zoom backdrop.

Designer wallpaper has seen a resurgence in recent years, and we're obsessed with Christian Lacroix's exquisite Oiseau Fleur vinyl wallpaper, which depicts vibrant botanical and bird motifs against a silk effect embossed base. It comes in two colourways of pink and grey.

(Main image: Brina Blum/ Unsplash; Featured image: Christian Lacroix)

The post Wenhao Yu of Sotheby’s on How to Grade Jade appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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A Salón Internacional Alta Relojería México Limited Edition and Only Watch 2019 piece unique joins the 1858 Montblanc Minerva Split Second Chrono collection

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What started as a desire to learn Chinese has evolved into a search for accessories that allow artist and musician Mark Chan to get closer to his heritage.

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Two hands good, four hands better? Decide for yourself at these limited-time chef collaborations.

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Jade doesn't have to be old-fashioned. These artisans are turning the gemstone into beautiful, contemporary jewellery.

The post Where to buy jade jewellery appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

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For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.