Explosions of Colour
Cutting-edge craftsmanship meets intense shades of peach, rose and navy in CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel’s 2019 Black Label Masterpieces
“Colour graduating gemstones are incredibly impactful. My grandfather taught me how to achieve these techniques by using traditional methods from before technology was available” 2019 Black Label Masterpiece X “Emerald Ribbon Brooch.” Opposite page: 2019 Black Label Masterpiece XII “Coral Necklace”
The greater realisation that jewellery is an art form that just happens to be wearable is now in the forefront of jewellery collectors minds worldwide. CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel has played a key role in this recognition and much has been made of the brand’s extraordinary juxtaposition of materials: lightweight titanium structures support precious, kaleidoscopic jewels in previously unheardof-combinations.
Established by jewellery artist Cindy Chao in 2004, the brand has quickly skyrocketed to the upper echelons of the international high jewellery stage, with
“Michelangelo once said, ‘I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.’ With wax sculpting, impeccable pieces are created by removing material” 2019 Black Label Masterpiece XI “Solstice Sculptural Bangle.” Opposite page: 2019 Black Label Masterpiece IX “Damask Rose Brooch”
Chao becoming the very first Asian female jeweller to be invited to the then Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris. More recently, the brand debuted at TEFAF Maastricht where it unveiled its 2019 Black Label Masterpieces.
The granddaughter of an architect and daughter of a sculptor, Chao is celebrated for her architectural mindset, having taken inspiration from Renaissance sculptor and architect Michelangelo. The 2019 Black Label Masterpiece VI “Scultura di Giglio Bangle,” for example, features a unique design that was developed over six years so it’s able to be spread flat like a canvas.
The scale of these pieces shows a bold and brave approach to high jewellery. with the 2019 Black Label
Masterpiece XI “Solstice Sculptural Bangle” boasting a 12.51-carat conch pearl surrounded by nearly 5,400 pieces of diamonds, fancy-coloured diamonds, green sapphires and alexandrites, all totaling 260 carats.
Meanwhile a clutch of over 1,500 pink sapphires in 18 shades of pink go into the 2019 Black Label Masterpiece IX “Damask Rose Brooch.” Its eight-carat cushion-cut vivid pink sapphire is already of enormous worth, without going to the trouble and expense of hundreds of man hours of setting using Chao’s 18thcentury European artisan wax sculpting technique. The result: Incomparably beautiful miniature works of art that simply couldn’t be achieved by anyone other than CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel.
“Emeralds are mesmerising and so vibrant–a true reflection of nature’s fathomless power and wonder” 2019 Black Label Masterpiece II “Marguerite Brooch.” Opposite page: 2019 Black Label Masterpiece VII “Emerald Architectural Necklace”