Masterpiece London kicks off today at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where a select group of exhibitors will be unveiling exceptional jewelry, including antique works from Wartski, Simon Teakle, Hancocks, and S.J. Phillips and contemporary designs from Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, and Moussaieff.
Among them is first-time exhibitor Cindy Chao (who will also be the only Asian high jeweler present at this year’s fair). Chao, who is based in Hong Kong and Taipei, Taiwan, has focused the bulk of her time and talent on the creation of a handful of one-of-a-kind Black Label pieces, making her a natural fit for Masterpiece, an event that typically caters to the collector and connoisseur markets.
With a sculptor’s sense of detail and proportion combined with an artist’s flair for color and visual storytelling, Chao’s designs are highly sought by internationally renowned auction houses as well as celebrated art fairs and museums worldwide. Her work has appeared in the Smithsonian and, most recently, was honored at the 28th Biennale des Antiquaires at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Original, technically challenging, and resplendent in exotic gemstones like violet sapphires and fancy colored diamonds, only a limited number of these rare art jewels are created annually. Each design required more than 10,000 hours to complete and is named, numbered, and dated—a plus for the serious collector, who may experience the designs for herself at Masterpiece through July 4.
A taste of the action is offered below.
Top: Works in progress, including emerald feather renderings and a wax mold for a highly detailed brooch featuring faceted and cabochon emeralds, yellow and white diamonds, and tsavorite
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