Style Edit: Cindy Chao’s new art-like jewellery mimics the ethereal qualities of nature

Founded in 2004 by jewellery artist Cindy Chao, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel is known for pieces that sit at the intersection of architecture, sculpture and organic form. Chao’s training – shaped by an architect grandfather and sculptor father – gives her work a distinctive structure and depth, with each creation approached as a small-scale piece of art rather than a traditional jewel.

Over the years, the maison has gained recognition from collectors and institutions alike. Its works have appeared at major international fairs such as the Biennale des Antiquaires, The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), and Masterpiece London, and several pieces have entered the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 2021, Chao became the first Asian jewellery artist to receive France’s prestigious Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres title for her contribution to the craft.

At the core of the brand are the Black Label Masterpieces, which often require years to complete. One of the latest, the 2025 Black Label Masterpiece II: Roots of Genesis brooch, explores the moment a fallen leaf begins to give way to new growth. The brooch brings together 4,040 gemstones – white diamonds, emeralds, tsavorites, sapphires – set in titanium, horn and gold. The composition balances opposites: hard diamonds paired with more delicate emeralds, openwork structures alongside denser areas of carving, and a palette that moves between white and green to suggest both endings and beginnings. Chao’s recent interest in unconventional materials, such as ox horn, plays a central role here, requiring careful carving and precise integration with metal.

Chao continues this exploration of natural forms in the Four Seasons Collection, which is part of the White Label Collection, especially through her long-standing maple leaf motif. Each piece is constructed with layered structures and hand-sculpted details, then set with stones in gradual colour transitions. The new maple leaf works draw on observations of shifting light and seasonal change, capturing a sense of stillness that is not entirely static.