rtists rarely achieve international recognition overnight. Having gained a following among an “in-crowd” of collectors and connoisseurs, Chinese jewellery designers came to the attention of a wider audience, particularly in Europe, only when they began to exhibit their work outside national borders. Leading the way, Wallace Chan astounded the public at the 2012 Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris with pieces that went beyond the realm of traditional jewellery.

Visitors to this fine arts and antiques fair were amazed to discover Chan’s otherworldly creations, his intensely poetic jewellery, extraordinary animals and giant flowers in shimmering titanium, smokey crystal and sculpted gold. Each piece demonstrates his mastery of the art of sculpture and gem-setting, including techniques of his own invention that unite the jewellery’s structure with its gemstones. His diamond claw setting method uses one stone to secure another, while his inner mortise and tenon setting procedure adapts a carpentry technique to join stones that are cut to form a mortise and tenon joint.

A gemstone and jade carver, Chan also developed the Wallace Cut: an adaptation of ancient intaglio and cameo techniques with which he creates the illusion of a three-dimensional sculpture inside a stone, to stunning effect.

Each of the fifty pieces that Wallace Chan exhibited at the 2012 Biennale had a story to tell, capturing the essence of Eastern philosophy and Chinese culture. The Hong Kong-based jeweller spoke of his ambition to open up a dialogue between cultures. With his eye-catching dress and Confucian-style beard, he was already well-known in his home country and among a handful of savvy collectors, but the Biennale brought him much wider recognition.

Jewellery: Austy Lee. The Chinese Windmill earrings, The Rooster with the Morning Sun earrings, The StarShine of 1000s earrings, The Emerald Pinwheels earrings, The Double Torques earrings, The Eye of Ra earrings. Photographer: Zed Leets | Art Director: Zoe Yau Stylist: Wan Jansco at THECLOTHESURGEON | Grooming: ChiChi Li. Photographer’s Assistants: Audrey Tam, Ivan Yip | Styling Assistant: Adrian Wong. Model: Yaroslav at QUEST Artists Models | Model: Yeom at WE Management

Another Asian jeweller who dazzles on the international stage is Cindy Chao, who launched her Cindy Chao The Art Jewel brand in 2004. Native to Taiwan, as the granddaughter of a distinguished architect and the daughter of a sculptor, she grew up surrounded by creativity. From her grandfather, who designed hundreds of temples across Taiwan, many of which are national monuments, she learned to look at the world from every angle, to pay attention to the smallest detail, and to breathe life and soul into an object.

Her jewellery reflects this. Crafted in European workshops, including in Switzerland, Cindy Chao’s creations resonate with collectors all over the world. Her collections have been shown in museums across the globe. One of her emblematic butterfly brooches was added to the gem collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. in 2013, after another had been added to the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in 2008. In November 2021 the French Minister of Culture made her a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Chan and Chao, alongside others such as Michelle Ong, Wendy Yue and Anna Hu, have paved the way for other young Asian jewellery artists who are putting their stamp on a domain which has long been the preserve of the grand jewellery houses whose boutiques line Paris’s Place Vendôme.

They bring a fresh mindset and a new design language that collectors and clients appreciate. This special report trains the spotlight on four creators – Wallis Hong, Aso Leon, Austy Lee and A.win Siu – all of whom have exhibited at the GemGenève fair in the last two years. When we met Wallis Hong in November 2022, it was the first time he had exhibited his jewellery. Aso Leon, whom we interviewed in May 2023, was making his first overseas trip. From Hong Kong, Austy Lee is known outside China thanks to the London-based designer brand Annoushka, which sells a selection of his jewellery at Harrods, Liberty and Harvey Nichols.

For all four, GemGenève has been a fast track to fame: Wallis Hong’s life has radically changed thanks to press articles published in the wake of his GemGenève debut. Social media has also been instrumental in familiarising a global audience with the techniques and aesthetic of these designers, whose jewellery transcends convention but still respects tradition. The result is an unmistakable signature. And while some want simply to be recognised as belonging to a new generation of international designers with no particular cultural affiliation, looking at their collections, it’s impossible not to see points of convergence.