Pamir Brooch
Inspired by the Pamir Plateau—a historic nexus of the ancient Silk Road once known as the “Cong Ling” (Onion Mountains)—the artist reinterprets the form of the onion plant, merging it with the varied glacial terrain of the plateau. The creation process begins with sculpting a vibrant, flourishing botanical form in wax, followed by crafting the foundation through the forging and hammering of exceptionally lightweight titanium. Technically, this brooch achieves a remarkable feat by reducing the metal content to less than one-third of the piece’s total weight, resulting in an ethereal lightness that feels almost weightless when worn.
The veins of the brooch are set with round tsavorites, interspersed with purple sapphires and purple garnets. The robust, weathered roots and the radiant glow of the gemstones make the vitality seem to burst forth. The dynamic onion crown is composed of rose-cut colorless diamonds, yellow diamonds, and brown diamonds. The entire piece utilizes 5,786 gemstones, with 31 diamonds weighing over 1 carat each, 9 over 3 carats, and the largest one weighing 5.26 carats.
Printemps Sur La Seine Cuff
Inspired by the iconic Seine River in Paris, France, Jewelry Artist Cindy Chao specifically chooses the unique perspective of “water reflecting the scenery of the riverbank.” She boldly employs an Impressionistic approach and creative method, drawing on the principle of color layering in oil painting to depict a moving scene of rippling water in the spring light, showing quivering branches and leaves on the shore, the early morning sky hinting at sunrise, and freshly sprouted, tender flowers.
The cuff’s structure is built with white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold to create architectural, three-dimensional layers. The lifelike lines of branches and vines undulate and flow, allowing the piece to transition freely across multiple spatial planes. The artist brings her imagined colors to life through 1,936 gemstones in fresh hues. The central band is scattered with 10 pink sapphires totaling approximately 70 carats, surrounded and clustered with rose-cut diamonds, colored sapphires, tourmalines, garnets, tsavorites, and Paraíba tourmalines. The precise arrangement of gems and multi-layered setting technique allow the piece to exhibit a surprising play of color and light.
