A cultural treasure trove
By Gan Tian (China Daily)
2010-02-24 10:06
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Home-grown inspirations
Chinese jewelry designers are no longer just copying their international peers, instead they are creating original works that are inspired by the country's traditions.
Xie Guojun, for instance, turns an ancient Chinese compass, into a glamorous ring. A spoon-like pointer made from 18-carat gold, rests on a spiral of 18-carat white gold embedded with more than 200 small diamonds.
Called Directing the ring won Xie second prize in the Cocktail Dress group of the 6th China Jewelry Design Contest, in January. This is a national level competition hosted by the Gems and Jewelry Trade Association of China (GAC), and National Gems and Jewelry Technology Administrative Center (NGTC).
Like Xie, the other 66 winners have all drawn inspiration from Chinese culture, including ink-wash dragon style scarf clips, necklace pendants with lyrics from Songs of Chu, and a phoenix-shaped hair accessory.
Works ranged from formal attire to cocktail dresses, casual wear to business suits and sports gear, which gave room for designers to extend their talents, says head judge Wang Chunli.
Wang believes the country's design creativity has improved during the past four years.
"We used to copy what's popular on the international market. We used to have no original style. Now we're running closer to world-class design. I believe 'Created in China' will replace 'Made in China'," Wang says.
NGTC vice-president Ke Jie says the country's jewelry design industry is at a primary stage because it started just 20 years ago. She believes designers now have an opportunity to shine because of the global economy.
"Chinese consumption of jewelry has steadily risen since 2009. The financial crisis has changed consumers' ideas. Jewelry offers a more stable and longer-lasting investment," Ke says.
Both Wang and Ke believe more manufacturers are using their own designers and this is raising the level of design and improving Chinese brands.
Bai Jingyi, a Beijing handicraft master and judge of the competition since it began, says some works used to look good on paper but couldn't be manufactured because the designers lacked practical experience.
Bai calls for a combination of craftsmanship and up-to-date design.
"I'm excited by the better-made pieces this year. Some of the (designers) have even applied traditional skills to modern design," Bai says.
The traditional royal filigree inlay craftsperson says there's no limit to the amount of inspiration to be found in traditional Chinese design.
"We have 56 ethnic groups and (many) dynasties, each of them have developed a unique decorative and artistic style. The richness of Chinese culture is an inexhaustible mine."
Bai says she's constantly inspired by the legacy of Chinese arts.