Beijing exhibition celebrates jewelry as contemporary art

A contemporary jewelry design and art show opened last week in Beijing, presenting jewelry pieces as wearable artworks, from a ring featuring a flying airplane to a necklace that mimics wind chimes.

The show, Triple Parade 2016, features works of more than 100 designers from 14 countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom. Frog skin, aircraft wood, various metals and LED are applied to jewelry in ways that are sometimes akin to small sculptures or even installations.

"Many jewelry designers are artists. Their artworks can be wearable," says Sun Jie, a designer and founder of the annual show that started in 2014.