Courtesy of Cindy Chao
The exquisite works conceived by Taiwanese jeweler Cindy Chao for over two decades can trace their roots back two generations. Her father was a sculptor and her grandfather an architect known for designing temples across East Asia. It’s not hard to recognize their influence in her gems—miniature artworks inspired by nature and created, unlike those of many of her contemporaries, using the lost-wax technique, which starts with hand-sculpting. Recurring motifs like dragonflies, butterflies, and feathers are formed with such intricate detail they look as though they might soon take flight.
A close-up view of Cindy Chao’s Feather Brooch with a dazzling four-carat diamond centerpiece.
Courtesy of Cindy Chao
In harmony with the aesthetic, each piece is crafted from innovative, lightweight materials. This one-of-a-kind Feather Brooch, for example, is built on titanium in varying hues for a gossamer feel. But the metal is notoriously difficult to shape—it’s tough on tools, has a very high melting point, and cannot be traditionally cast like gold. This is why the undulating curves of the plume are that much more astonishing. The stem is executed in ox horn. It took Chao over a year to find just the right version in transparency, form, and tone to match the centerpiece stone: a four-carat fancy brown-yellow marquise diamond. A single white diamond punctuates the other end. Feathers unfurl all around in a stunning display of 2,383 white, yellow, and brown diamonds of assorted sizes. In total, the 11.3 cm by 4 cm by 3.2 cm opus carries 73.91 carats of stones in an impossibly nuanced setting.
Although the piece evokes an ethereal quality, it is anything but frivolous. Artisanal work of this caliber is rare air indeed—an heirloom object that appears to defy gravity but is firmly rooted in generations of savoir faire.
