Romancing the store
Designers of high jewelry and luxury watches everywhere seem to be in love with Chinese cultural heritage and folklore. Gennady Oreshkin reports.
Jewelry inspired by Chinese cultural heritage and folklore continues to shine on the international stage. The Hong Kong brand Carnet, for example, is behind the bauhinia-shaped brooch made out of diamonds, platinum and 18K yellow gold worn by Lisa Lu in the smash-hit 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians. The film's other star, Academy Award-winning actor Michelle Yeoh, is often seen walking the red carpet in accessories designed by Cindy Chao — butterfly brooches and emerald waterfall-shaped earrings, for instance. Wallace Chan — who frequently exhibits his works at prestigious venues such as the Karen Blixen Museum in Rungsted, Denmark and the Santa Maria Della Pieta chapel in Venice — is known for his intricately crafted gem-encrusted dragonfly and cicada brooches that seem straight out of a fairy tale.
