Why are Chinese jewellery designers getting millions of dollars at auction for their creations?

Now firmly in the international spotlight, Chinese jewellery designers are commanding astronomical prices at auction, and talent from around Asia and the rest of the world who look to the East for inspiration are also enjoying long overdue attention.

The hammer came down at Sotheby’s Autumn Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction at US$5.8 million on the Dunhuang Pipa necklace. The fortunate buyer became the owner of an original piece of haute joaillerie by Anna Hu, a scrolling necklace of white diamonds centred by an intense yellow diamond of over 100ct that doubles as a brooch.

Its sale contributes to Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad charity and the piece is part of Hu’s Silk Road Music collection, inspired by the Dunhuang Mogao grottoes, as well as the ancient Chinese musical instrument, the pipa.

Taiwan-born but with an artistic education that encompasses Christie’s, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston, Hu’s aesthetic reflects her cultural heritage. Her unique works are created in ateliers in Paris and New York.

Hu is among a generation of jewellery designers whose ethnicity is Chinese and who draw on the history and symbols of China to create jewellery art, featuring symbols such as dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers, koi carp, bamboo, peonies and clouds. Yet her jewellery is essentially in the European tradition.

Chinese designers who continue to make international headlines at auctions include Cindy Chao, whose namesake brand, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, continues to be admired for its incredible construction and use of precious gems, as well as its unique look that mingles Eastern charm with Western jewellery-making techniques.

Chao’s designs are heavily influenced by nature, with floral playing a prominent role in her collections.

Together with the use of top-quality precious stones, the designer has created one-of-a-kind pieces that have made significant noise in the auction world; Chao’s 8.03ct pigeon’s blood Burmese ruby ring sold for an astonishing US$3.84 million at Sotheby’s in 2013. Her designs continue to make headlines for their incredible artistry and regularly surface at auctions.

This year, Hong Kong-based jewel master Wallace Chan offered a retrospective of his creations, some with more literal Chinese and religious imagery. The designer is best known for his Zen-like approach to jewellery design and sees each of his creations as a work of art and journey of self-discovery. Cicadas, a symbol of wisdom and purity, are a frequent muse in Chan’s work, as are other historical Chinese themes.