Gleaming traditions at Chow Tai Fook

Gold and jadeite shine with autumn's hues in the capital city, as China's leading jewelry brand, Chow Tai Fook, recently unveiled its latest high jewelry collection, Timeless Harmony, alongside pieces from the Chow Tai Fook Palace Museum Collection in Beijing.

Set within the tranquil surroundings of the Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, where antique charm intertwines with light and shadow, the exhibition captures the essence of traditional Chinese aesthetics through the artistry of jewelry.

Unfolding in three chapters — Timeless Harmony, Palace Museum, and Classic & Gold — the showcase radiates serene elegance, revealing Eastern aesthetics and romance.

Among the highlights, the "Heaven & Earth" draws inspiration from ancient Chinese philosophy and the cosmological supposition of "a round heaven and a square earth". The designs interpret the universe through the simplicity of circles and squares, transforming the vast cosmos into exquisite, wearable jewelry, that reflects the timeless meditations on space and time.

"Heaven & Earth" is crafted with carefully selected, high-clarity diamonds and Feicui (jadeite in Chinese). The pieces appear in both round and square cuts, echoing the philosophy of "a round heaven and a square earth". Round, high-domed rose-cut diamonds evoke the constellation's fluid grace while imparting a sense of classical elegance. Bespoke baguette-cut square diamonds, sharp and angular, convey modernity while refracting the timeless philosophy of the universe.

Timeless Harmony's Joie pieces reinterpret the Chinese character "Xi" (喜, joy) through geometric deconstruction, turning happiness into a tangible form. Minimalist yet expressive, the Joie Collection features carefully selected customized baguette-cut diamonds. This cut gives diamonds clean lines, and its gentle radiance conveys the solemnity and vitality of joy. Layered with diamonds, colored gemstones, Feicui, and pearls, the composition uses colors to set the tone, placing circles within squares, expressing refined brilliance.

"Palace" celebrates the elegance and exquisite craftsmanship of imperial architecture, translating its harmonious order and balance into gem-set masterpieces. Each piece is a meticulous microcosm of architectural mastery, encapsulating the balance of heaven and earth. The expertly crafted designs merge the beauty of axial symmetry and proportions with meticulous craftsmanship.

"Lotus", meanwhile, captures the flower's serene grace, evoking dew-kissed petals.

October marks the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum, whose timeless relics have inspired Chow Tai Fook's design team to create the Palace Museum collection.

During the high jewelry show, Nicholas Lieou, Creative Director of High Jewelry at Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, shared his passion and understanding of jewelry, Feicui, and Chinese philosophy, and the poetic essence that defines his design language.

"We really want to communicate the beauty of China. My interpretation of the beauty of China is the soul and emotion behind the jewelry pieces," he said. "So through Timeless Harmony, we have three different pillars of design: architecture, philosophy, and innovation. Under architecture, we have Palace, Gate, Great Wall, and also Roof Tiles. Under philosophy, we have Lotus, Joie and Heaven & Earth."

Born in Hong Kong, China, and raised in the UK and then New York, Lieou was deeply shaped by his Shanghai-born parents, who brought him and his brother back to China every year when they were young.

"So I really understood from a young age how China has developed until now and it's a wonderful, proud moment to be able to see how far we have come. A lot of the world has not really understood how far we have come for the country to be so advanced, but in a very harmonious way."

"I remember going to the Forbidden City from the age of eight. I was amazed that it is literally a city, made up of multiple palaces."

It took Lieou and his craftsmen about four years to finish the collection. "We wanted to make sure we were respectful to each theme," he said. "I designed every piece, and the design team went through all the stones. We started with a theme, and then did the sketches. Once we settled on the design, we either sourced or cut the gemstones."

"I really like his design. It embodies the Chinese philosophy of being 'round on the outside, square on the inside', as well as the concept of 'less is more'. The Lotus design captures purity emerging from the mud, a trait we Chinese greatly admire," said Kent Wong, Managing Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group.

For the piece Lotus, the designer chose tension-setting instead of prong-setting the diamonds.