A vision of radiance under the enchanting glow of a sunset after the rain, this masterpiece looks to the elegant musa leaf for inspiration. The tropical flamboyance of its undulating curvature and tangible movement are tempered by a soft pink-golden glow, gifted by over 1,400 diamonds. Each expertly set alongside cushion-cut diamonds to flawlessly replicate the texture of a leaf’s veins, the Caribbean Golden Brooch is enhanced by a magnificent 3-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond, while a stream of polished European ox horn runs through its centre, bringing a translucent touch and lustrous texture that perfectly mirrors nature’s own design.

Due to the unique nature of such alternative materials, a comprehensive evaluation of their durability is required before application. Each piece of ox horn has a completely different colour and texture which cannot be immediately identified from the first incision. This is CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel’s first foray into ox horn, taking more than a year to find material with excellent transparency and tone that meet the artist’s requirement. To achieve the optimal effect of material combinations, the artist drew inspiration from the legendary Chinese architectural structure – the mortise and tenon joint – to precisely calculate positions and angles, highlighting her uncompromising pursuit of innovation.

Vitality, hope and springtime abundance are encapsulated in the pair of Spring Cardamom Brooches. With an undulating, organic silhouette inspired by a budding cardamom pod, the piece heroes a cabochon Colombian emerald – extremely rare in size and quality – which is elegantly juxtaposed against a hollow-appearing diamond ball. An exploration of the coexistence of the abstract and real realised via the contrast of the emerald against the hollow diamond ball, the carefully moulded leaf silhouette is complemented by a constellation of precious stones including diamonds, tsavorites, colour-changing garnets, tourmalines and green sapphires. A spectrum of shades transform into oil paints in the artist’s hands, giving the artwork a unique texture and harmony.

Each stone is painstakingly hand selected for their thin cut, which allows the penetration of light to render them ineffably vibrant, the gems are held in place by invisible settings in a structure that Chao names 3D-3 – another three-dimensional layer veils the already 3D structure. A celebration of artful articulation, the piece subtly moves with the wearer, imbuing the lightness and dynamism that has become signature of CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel.

Inspired by the love of the collector couple the piece was created for, the Amour Butterfly’s form appears as if two butterflies are united as one. Crafted by European master craftsmen over 15,000 hours, its tenderly stretched wings are adorned with nearly three thousand precious gemstones, with a special-cut elongated marquise diamond radiating at its centre. Brilliant-cut diamonds on the multi-layered wings shine with dazzling lustre, while rose-cut diamonds offer a subtle elegance. Exceptionally rare in their almost-identical size, weight, origin, colour and quality, the Amour Butterfly is the inaugural Annual Butterfly brooch to showcase emeralds – Chao’s favourite stone – while glimpses of blue gemstones beneath create a mesmerising optical and spatial illusion. In this art jewel, signature titanium meets gently carved ox horn. This is the brand’s first foray into the natural material, which took over a year to source with excellent transparency, complete form and matching tones.

Looking to the delicate, ethereal nature of the white peacock feather for inspiration, CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel showcases impeccable three-dimensional sculpting skills to craft the Lumière Feather Brooch. A captivating play of light and contrast, the art jewel is adorned with 2,419 meticulously set precious stones in a palette of heavenly hues, crowned by a radiant heart-shaped diamond as a signature touch of femininity and romance. An exquisite fusion of savoir-faire and artistic expression designed to capture unwavering attention, the brooch was worn by actor Michelle Yeoh at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar party in Los Angeles.

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel sits at the intersection of Eastern heritage and Western technique – something embodied with awe-inspiring effect in the Pamir Brooch. Inspired by the Pamir Plateau, a spot of cultural convergence along the ancient Silk Road, the artist pays homage to the diverse glacial terrain, where intertwined veins capture the wonders of nature and connote luxuriant fauna in mountainous landscapes. An effect achieved uniquely by her pioneering wax sculpture technique, Cindy Chao highlights titanium in her artistic persistence by using the hardest metal to create the softest curvatures. Minimising the metallic component to its utmost extent, its exhaustive refinement results in a piece that weighs a mere 76 grams, its delicate and slender shape amplifying the difficulty level further.