Celebrity Life

When it comes to jewellery, our city has no shortage of creative talent. We speak to six Hong Kong jewellery designers to ask them about their past and present inspirations.

Some were born and raised in Hong Kong, while others adopted it as their home, but what Audrey Savransky, Julien-Loic Garin, Narcisa Pheres, Melinda Zeman, Sarah Zhuang and Payal Shah have in common is that they each set up their own jewellery brand here. Each reveals their motivations and inspirations, while explaining their individual styles.

Meet 6 Successful Hong Kong Jewellery Designers

AUDREY SAVRANSKY, AS29 FINE JEWELLERY

The fourth-generation member of a family of diamond dealers, Audrey Savransky was fascinated by jewellery the moment she was given a ring by her grandmother – a yellowgold band encrusted with three rubies. Today, she designs edgy and strikingly beautiful pieces that are sold the world over – and she hopes each jewel is passed down from generation to generation.

When did you decide to come up with

your own jewellery line? I always loved jewels. When I moved to Hong Kong, I started to manufacture for other brands. After getting enough knowledge and experience, I decided it was time to chase my dream and start my own collection. I launched my own company, AS29 Fine Jewellery, in 2008.

When I’m designing, my goal is always to create something that feels bold and powerful, but at the same time will move effortlessly between different occasions.

What was the first piece of jewellery you designed?

My engagement ring – which I’ve changed about four times over the years. Everyone asks, “How can you do that?” To which I reply, I’m a jewellery designer and it’s normal I want to change my ring! It’s not as if I changed my husband four times! I kept the same stone but changed the design.

If you could only wear one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?

One piece? Impossible! For me, wearing jewellery is like having a second skin.

JULIEN-LOÏC GARIN, THE COLLECTION BY JLG

Well-known among the French community in Hong Kong as the former CEO of Le French May for many years, Garin has long been fascinated by jewels and collects precious stones from around the world. He eventually put his hobby to good use by unveiling his own collection last year.

How long have you loved and been collecting jewellery?

As a child I used to collect little jewels and was always looking through my family’s treasures. But it was only later, particularly when I discovered India and how men wear jewellery there, that I seriously started to collect.

When did you decide to come up with your own jewellery line?

It’s always been a dream at the back of my mind, but it was only last year that I started to design – and the pieces materialised. When my fiancé offered me a yellow pear diamond for our anniversary, I decided to design a ring to host it. I knew then it was what I wanted to do, and a lot of Inspiration began to arise from the loose stones we’d been collecting over the years.

What materials or stones do you enjoy working with?

I usually work with solid gold, for its strength and soft shine, its heritage value and its great properties. As to stones, I do love spinels – a fantastic older stone that comes in a lot of colours and has the lustre of a diamond. Pearls are also among my favourite gemstones.

If you could only wear one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It probably would be my “Horus” ring. For sentimental reasons, because it ignited my passion for creating, and also because I believe in the protective power of stones.

NARCISA PHERES, PHERES AND NARCISA PHERES

Her label is a red-carpet staple and her bespoke jewels are preferred by stars and royalty. Indeed, everything Narcisa Pheres does has that extra dose of glam…

Tell us about your love for jewellery.

I love and collect art and jewellery. For me, jewellery is art.

When did you decide to come up with your own jewellery line?

It started around the year 2000. I was living in Tokyo, working as a trader for a big firm, dealing with fine arts and antiques, including jewellery. My job was to travel around the world and find special pieces in auctions and exhibitions. Often, I’d be asked to re-design old jewellery pieces around the centre stone. I started designing out of curiosity but it quickly turned into my passion.

What was the first piece of jewellery you designed?

A pair of diamond cufflinks for an American football player, around 20 years ago. I’d been his personal designer for seven years.

Who’s your target clientele?

For the bespoke pieces, collectors wearing Narcisa Pheres jewellery are often seen on the red carpet – celebrities from around the world. As the official designer to Princess Olga Romanoff, I’ve been designing tiaras too. The Pheres collection is our ready-to-wear line, where the target audience is the modern individual.

What materials or stones do you enjoy working with?

I love diamonds, particularly coloured diamonds. I also like working with emeralds, paraibas, rubies and sometimes baroque pearls. They remind me of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi – beauty in imperfection.

If you could only wear one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life what would it be?

The yellow diamond ring from my husband.

MELINDA ZEMAN, BOOCHIER

Melinda Zeman didn’t intend to set up a jewellery brand – she only wanted to create pieces she loved for herself. But as demand grew from friends and beyond, Boochier was formed in 2019, a fun and playful brand that embraced her one-of-a-kind, tongue-in-cheek pieces. Drawing inspiration from pop culture and Zeman’s own multi-cultural sensibility, the collection features pops of neon, smatterings of gemstones and gold chains.

How did you start designing jewellery?

I began designing for myself because I love jewellery but in Hong Kong, it was quite hard to find jewellery that was more contemporary and modern, but still feminine, quite cool and edgy at the same time. Then people started asking if I could make them a few pieces too. It grew from there and two years ago I decided to host my first trunk show.

Where does the name Boochier come from?

I was researching different East-meets-West names, because I felt like I really embodied that. My father’s from Ghana, I was born in the UK and grew up in Hong Kong, so I’m quite international. I wanted a name that could represent this DNA. Then I stumbled upon name Guillaume Bouchier, who used to travel between France and China in the 1800s, making jewellery and introducing European craftsmanship to China. I really liked the story but renamed it Boochier to give a sense of unexpectedness to it, something that represented the more playful nature of my brand.

Tell us about your first collection.

When I designed Fruit Hoops, I knew I wanted to use the knot in some way. Because I felt as if it can represent so many different relationships in your life. So many cultures have put symbolic meaning on the knot. It could be a reminder of all the ties you have in your life, the people you love. I wanted to make it untraditional, though, in the sense that the collection would be super colourful. We experimented with so many enamel colours to get these specific shades of pink, yellow, green, blue and purple.

SARAH ZHUANG, SARAH ZHUANG JEWELLERY

Born into a family in the jewellery business for over two decades, Sarah Zhuang never dreamt of a life outside of design. When she and her sister took over the family business, she also began designing her own, eventually spreading her wings and launching her brand in 2017 that creates functional and elegant pieces for the modern woman with a fast-paced way of life.

Tell us about your love for jewellery.

When I was a teenager I loved fashion accessories. I’d spend a lot of my allowances on these crazy, big earrings. I only learnt to appreciate fine jewellery after I took my first GIA jewellery-design course, which was when I officially entered the industry.

What was the first piece of jewellery you designed?

The first piece I designed and that actually went into production was in 2013. I was taking the jewellery-design course at the time, and had to design a piece during the final exam. I liked it a lot but I couldn't take the exam paper home, so I memorised it and re-created it when I went back to the office. I saw potential in that piece and thought it might have some commercial values, so I developed a complete collection based on it. The collection name was “Let it Snow” and the first set was sold within the first week.

Who’s your jewellery made for?

My brand celebrates womanhood and each collection personifies a unique trait of modern women. Our slogan is “As versatile as women” – we combine elegance with functionality and create transformable jewellery that can be worn in multiple ways to adapt to the busy lifestyles of modern women. Women who wear our jewellery have strong and distinctive personalities, they’re confident and sophisticated, they love fashion and are comfortable about expressing their uniqueness.

PAYAL SHAH, L’DEZEN BY PAYAL SHAH

She carries forward an ancient Indian jewellerymaking tradition and working with unique stones, but Payal Shah pushes it forward with a completely modern take, novel designs, a global outlook. Her accessories are worn the world over by international celebrities – while she herself looks like one.

Tell us about your love for jewellery.

Jewellery is part of my family’s DNA – my parents were diamond suppliers to a lot of manufacturers in Hong Kong. My love for designing my own jewellery using unique stones spoke to me.

When did you decide to come up with you own jewellery line?

Years ago, while I was working at an architecture firm, I created a capsule line for a Singaporean brand. That was my first taste and experience in creating jewellery and also the industry. I enjoyed every part of the process. A year later I quit my job and designed under my own label.

What is the first piece of jewellery you’ve ever designed?

The first piece I ever designed was a ring using slice diamonds with white diamonds in a floral shape.

What was the inspiration for the latest collection?

The latest collection has a unisex appeal. The designs are androgynous, as we get a lot of men looking at them too. The Guns ’n’ Roses Collection mostly uses a matte finish. The styles have a gorgeous geometric exterior that gives the collection a bold edge.

What materials or stones do you enjoy working with?

I enjoy working with slice diamonds, rose cuts, fancy shapes and blue sapphires. These stones have such a multi facade, which is what I love about them.

If you could only wear one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?

My Fiona flower earrings. They’re just a perfect pair. Considering how effortless and light they are, I could sleep in them too.

Hong Kong Jewellery Designers Photoshoot

PHOTOGRAPHY ALISON KWAN
LOCATION THE UPPER HOUSE

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