3 of Hong Kong’s best jewellery designers, from elder statesman Wallace Chan to Sarah Zhuang and Austy Lee, the home-grown talents inspired by the city’s energy, architecture and blend of cultures

May 12 , 2023

Hong Kong jeweller Sarah Zhuang and her creation Urban Reflection. Photos: Handout

Zhuang’s pieces are available at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong and China, and at Handa Watch World in Japan. In 2019, her Urban Reflections rings won a HKTDC International Jewellery Design Excellence Award

Chan’s creations are displayed at Beijing’s Capital Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and London’s British Museum, with the latter piece a ring made using ‘The Wallace Chan porcelain’

Hong Kong may not have the storied history in high jewellery that, say, Paris has, but that has not stopped jewellery designers here from producing stunning work that has attracted global attention. The city’s vibrant energy, stunning architecture, and unique mix of cultures have been cited by various designers as the key inspirations behind their creations.

Sarah Zhuang

Among them is Sarah Zhuang, who started her own high jewellery brand in 2017. Sarah Zhuang Jewellery is available online and in-store at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong and the mainland, and through Handa Watch World in various big cities across Japan.

In 2019, her Urban Reflections creation of four rings, each featuring iconic and historic buildings from Hong Kong’s skyline, won the award for Innovative and Uniqueness in Design at the International Jewellery Design Excellence Awards, a competition among leading jewellery designers from around the world that is hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Sarah Zhuang Jewellery creation, Long Distance Love

“I really like architecture, and Hong Kong has a lot of famous landmarks and buildings with very interesting designs,” Zhuang said. “It’s also known as an international metropolis where East meets West – there is so much culture. I always get inspired just walking around the city, looking at these old and new buildings.”

Receiving the award was a source of local pride for Zhuang, she added, “It was very special to me to showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of Hong Kong to the world.”