Cindy Chao

Cindy Chao (Chinese: 趙心綺) is a Taiwanese jewellery designer. She founded her company, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, in 2004. She is known for her Black Label Masterpiece Collection and Annual Butterfly.

Cindy Chao
Born1970s
Taiwan
OccupationJewellery designer
Known forFirst Taiwanese jewellery designer with three pieces of jewellery inducted into three museums, namely Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese趙心綺
Hanyu PinyinZhào Xīnqǐ

Early life

Chao was born in Taiwan in the 1970s. She is the daughter of a sculptor and a businesswoman. Her grandfather Hsieh Tzu-Nan (simplified Chinese: 谢自南; traditional Chinese: 謝自南; pinyin: Xiè Zìnán) was an architect who designed temples across Taiwan.[1][2] According to Chao, it was her grandfather who inspired her interest in architecture.

Career

Chao learned various techniques and skills of sculpting from her father, which eventually shaped her own style of design.[2] In 2004, Chao established Cindy Chao The Art Jewel and opened its first showroom in Taipei.[3] In 2007, she became the first Taiwanese jewellery artist to take part in a Christie's New York fine jewellery auction. Her pieces feature classic 18th century artisan techniques of crafting designs in wax known as la cire perdue (Lost-wax casting). Chaos's pieces are completed using precious metal and gemstones.

Chao's two collections, Black Label Masterpieces and White Label Collection, have been exhibited at art fairs and institutions around the world including Beijing Today Art Museum, Tokyo Mori Art Museum,[4] Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris,[3] Masterpiece London,[5][6][7][8] and TEFAF Maastricht.[9][10] In 2010, Cindy Chao become one of the first Taiwanese jewellery artists to have one of her designs, an Annual Butterfly, inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.[11][12][13][14][15]

In 2020, her first annual butterfly brooch the 2008 Black Label Masterpiece I, Ruby Butterfly Brooch, was donated to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, displayed in its Galerie des Bijoux.[16][17][18][19]

In 2021, her 2018 Black Label Masterpiece XVIII “Peony Brooch” was inducted into the William and Judith Bollinger Gallery of the Victoria and Albert Museum.[20][21][22][23]

On 17 November 2021, Cindy Chao was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Order of the Arts and the Letters) by France's minister of culture Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin during a ceremony held in Paris, France.[24][25][26]

Jewellery

Black Label Masterpieces

The Black Label Masterpieces are inspired by Chao's passion for architecture, sculpture, travel, and nature. The limited-edition jewels are created annually, and each piece is named, numbered, and dated.[5]

The 2018 Black Label Masterpiece XVIII “Peony Brooch” by Cindy Chao The Art Jewel was inducted into the William and Judith Bollinger Gallery of the Victoria and Albert Museum.[20][21][22][23] Cindy Chao was commissioned to transform a ruby necklace and chose to create a peony, an imperial flower, which in Chinese tradition would bring good fortune. The gestation of the brooch took place over eleven years.[20] The Peony Brooch is made in titanium [20] and set with 105 oval-cut rubies and dusted with a further 2,380 rubies and 668 diamonds.[22]

Annual Butterflies

Every year Chao creates one butterfly piece.[27] The first butterfly was created in 2008 and has since been coined as the Annual Butterflies. Each butterfly takes more than 18 months to complete as gemstones and thousands of pavé-set diamonds are set on and around delicately molded wings.

The 2009 Black Label Masterpiece I, Royal Butterfly Brooch, was donated to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History's gem collection.[28][29] The Royal Butterfly is composed of 2,328 gems, totaling 77 carats.[30] The centerpieces of the butterfly's wings contain four large faceted diamond slices stacked atop a pave layer of faceted diamonds, creating a pattern resembling a living butterfly's wings.

The 2014 Black Label Masterpiece I, Ballerina Butterfly, was designed in collaboration with Sarah Jessica Parker.[31]

The 2008 Black Label Masterpiece I, Ruby Butterfly Brooch, was donated to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, displayed in its Galerie des Bijoux.[16][17][18][19] It is the first butterfly brooch created by Cindy Chao and it is made of 18K gold, encrusted with two Burmese rubies totaling almost 13 carats and are surrounded by more than 1,000 diamonds. There are 82 sapphires in the other side totaling almost 2 carats.[17]

References
  1. Chen, Jian-Hou (9 November 2010). 〈國際時尚圈炙手可熱的設計師 趙心綺：她的珠寶藝術，啟蒙自台灣廟宇建築師〉. Global Views Monthly (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
  2. Stefanie Waldek. "How Architecture Inspires Renowned Couture Jeweler Cindy Chao". ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN, 15 July 2019.
  3. Anthony DeMarco. "Cindy Chao And The Business Of High Jewelry". Forbes, 6 November 2016.
  4. "A Rare and Impressive Fancy Coloured Diamond and Diamond Dress Ring, by Cindy Chao". Bonhams, 26 Nov 2017.
  5. Emilie Yabut-Razon."Jewellery Designer Cindy Chao Makes Her Masterpiece London Debut". HK TATLER, 21 June 2018.
  6. MARIA DOULTON."Cindy Chao's Outstanding Object Award Masterpiece London". The Jewellery Editor, 11 Jul 2018.
  7. "STYLE Edit: Jeweller Cindy Chao brings her Black Label Masterpieces to Asia". SCMP STYLE, 8 Oct 2018.
  8. Anthony DeMarco. "Getting Personal With A Cindy Chao High Jewelry Masterpiece". Forbes, 19 Jul 2019.
  9. Annabel Davidson."How Taiwanese jeweller Cindy Chao's unrivalled artistry earned her the top award at Masterpiece 2019". The Telegraph, 27 Jun 2019.
  10. Jakki Phillips."Jeweller Cindy Chao Discusses Legacy, Celebrities And Her Debut At TEFAF". HK TATLER, 17 Jun 2019.
  11. . Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  12. . Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  13. . Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  14. Cindy Chao: jewels as art | The Jewellery Editor
  15. Cindy Chao's Butterfly Brooch Added to Smithsonian Gem Hall – Forbes
  16. "Cindy Chao's First Butterfly Brooch Enters Prestigious Paris Museum of Decorative Arts". Forbes.
  17. Beckett, Kathleen (23 January 2020). "In Paris, Champagne and a Butterfly". The New York Times.
  18. "A Jewel by Cindy Chao Makes Couture Week History in Paris". 20 January 2020.
  19. "Cindy Chao's First Annual Butterfly Joins the Musée des Arts Décoratifs". 12 February 2020.
  20. "Brooch | Chao, Cindy | V&A Explore the Collections".
  21. "The Cindy Chao 'Peony Brooch' Inducted into the V&A Museum". Forbes.
  22. "On display: Cindy Chao at the V&A".
  23. "CINDY CHAO the Art Jewel Announces Induction into London's Museum". 2 June 2021.
  24. "Cindy Chao Receives One of France's Highest Artistic Honors". Forbes.
  25. "Cindy Chao Inducted into France's Order of Arts and Letters". 18 November 2021.
  26. "Cindy Chao is Appointed Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture". 14 December 2021.
  27. "Taking Flight: Cindy Chao's Bejewelled Butterflies". HK TATLER, 28 Feb 2019.
  28. Cindy Chao: jewels as art | The Jewellery Editor
  29. Cindy Chao's Butterfly Brooch Added to Smithsonian Gem Hall – Forbes
  30. Cindy Chao Butterfly Brooch at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History – Taiwanese Jewelry Designer Cindy Chao – Town & Country Magazine
  31. Sarah Jessica Parker Spreads her Wings with Cindy Chao Archived 2014-07-11 at the Wayback Machine. Glam.
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