27 Ways To Wear Wallace Chan's Masterpiece, 'A Heritage in Bloom'

1. Full Blossom

Hong Kong-based retail giant Chow Tai Fook gave Wallace Chan 24 D-colored internally flawless diamonds cut from a 507-carat rough then left him alone to create whatever he wanted. Their trust in the renowned jewelry artist resulted in a "A Heritage in Bloom," a remarkable necklace that combines the 24 diamonds (including a 104-carat brilliant round stone with a triple-x cut grade) with hundreds of other white and pink diamonds and hundreds of green and white jade, set in titanium.

The necklace goes on display as part of "Dream Light Water," a retrospective of Chan's work presented by Christie's Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (November 26 - 30). As I previously written there are 27 ways to wear the bejeweled necklace. All of them are pictured with their individual titles.

2. Butterfly Love

3. Tranquility

4. Reminiscence

5. Dreamlike Moment

6. All in Bloom

7. Spring Sonata

8. Rendezvous

9. New Moon

10. The Smile of Love

11. Flower Gaze

12. Bright Day

13. As in Dreams

14. Infinite Love

15. Moonlit Flowers

16. Bloom Ethereal

17. For Generations

18. Sweetness of Spring

19. Wind Dancer

20. A Happy Encounter

21. Bloom Enchanted

22. In Harmony

23. Jade Butterfly

24. Everlasting Joy

25. Bloom Resonance 

26. Silky Fragrance

27. One in a Million

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Major Sponsors Renew Commitment To JNA Awards

Partners join hands at the 2015 JNA Awards. (From left) Ira Tsirlina of the Israel Diamond Institute; Naresh Surana of Diarough Hong Kong; Rita Maltez of Rio Tinto Diamonds; Wolfram Diener of UBM Asia; Letitia Chow of UBM Asia; Kent Wong of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd; Caroline Yuan of Shanghai Diamond Exchange; Ye Xuquan of Guangdong Land Holdings Ltd

Rio Tinto Diamonds and Chow Tai Fook will return as “Headline Partners” for the fifth consecutive year of the JNA Awards.

In addition, Diarough Group, Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies, Shanghai Diamond Exchange and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited have also renewed their sponsorship of the awards. Both IDI and SDE have been championing the JNA Awards since its launch, while Diarough and GDLAND have come on board as “Honored Partners” since 2014.

The JNA Awards honors companies and individuals that have demonstrated excellence and made positive contributions to their businesses and communities, with a focus on achievements made in Asia. Nominees are selected through an independent, transparent and rigorous judging process. The program culminates with a gala dinner and awards ceremony held in association with the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

“The Awards plays an important role in celebrating and inspiring successes within the gemstone and jewelry industry, and our partners' loyal support has helped us make that happen,” said Letitia Chow, founder of JNA, Director of Business Development—Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, and Chair of the JNA Awards judging panel.

Jewelry trade magazine, Jewelry News Asia, the flagship publication of UBM Asia's Jewelry Group, is the organizer of the JNA Awards. 

“It is particularly gratifying to receive continuous support from these distinguished industry leaders who share our values in promoting best practices within the industry and setting high standards to advance the global jewelry community,” said Wolfram Diener, UBM Asia senior VP. “Their involvement will certainly create synergy to drive the industry forward with greater innovation and sustainable growth.”

The JNA Awards 2015 Ceremony and Gala Dinner was held on September 20 at the Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong. The awards gala dinner drew more than 500 jewelry and gemstone industry leaders who celebrated the achievements of 19 award recipients and 31 honorees. 

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Wallace Chan, Chow Tai Fook Unveil Sparkling Necklace From 507-Carat Diamond

"A Heritage in Bloom"

Hong Kong-based jewelry retailer, Chow Tai Fook commissioned world-renowned jewelry artist Wallace Chan to create a jewel from diamonds cut from the Cullinan Heritage, an exceptionally rare 507.55 carat Type IIa rough diamond. The result is “A Heritage in Bloom,” a necklace made of green and white jade, colored diamonds and 24 D-color, internally flawless diamonds from the original rough.

Integration of jade and diamonds–including the centerpiece of the necklace: the 104-carat, D color, internally flawless, brilliant round Forevermark diamond

The centerpiece of the necklace is a 104-carat, D color, internally flawless, brilliant round diamond with the highest possible cut grade of “3-Excellent,” according to the Chow Tai Fook, making it one of the largest diamonds ever with these characteristics. Forevermark, a De Beers Diamond brand, said Monday the diamond was one of theirs.  

Butterflies represent eternal love

The diamond necklace unites an entire family of diamonds cut from the same rough stone within a single piece of jewelry, “an artistic decision unheard of in a contemporary piece,” according to the company. It also brings together thousands of white diamonds and hundreds of pink diamonds, totaling 383.4 carats, as well as more than one hundred pieces of green jadeite and mutton fat white jade. The ornate necklace includes figures of a bat (for good luck) and butterflies (for eternal love).

If that’s not enough, the necklace is created with a modular design that can be worn in 27 different ways. The company says this is an example of the sophistication of Chan’s “design and exquisite composition” for the necklace

The bat represents good fortune

It required more than 47,000 hours from craftsmen who specialize in various areas of jewelry making. 

Chow Tai Fook, one of the world’s largest retail jewelers by market capitalization, said it paid $35.3 million for the 507-carat, Type IIa (almost or entirely devoid of impurities) rough diamond in 2010. The company then spent three years cutting and polishing the diamond.

Mutton fat white jade beads

“Today we complete a journey we began five years ago, and we could not be more proud of the exceptional and historic creation that has emerged," Dr. Henry Cheng, chairman of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited, said Thursday while unveiling the diamond in Hong Kong. "Continuing the Cullinan legend, the world-renowned master jewelry artist Wallace Chan has brought the Cullinan diamonds to life.” 

The back of the necklace’s centerpiece

Chan is recognized by many as the greatest living Asian jewelry artist. He founded his own gemstone carving workshop when he was 17 and in 1987 he invented the “Wallace Cut,” an illusionary carving technique that transcends dimensions. He was the first Chinese jewelry artist ever invited to exhibit and deliver speeches at the Gemological Institute of America headquarters. In 2012 and 2014, he was the first and only Asian artist ever invited to exhibit at the prestigious Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris.

Chow Tai Fook operates approximately 2,260 Chow Tai Fook and Hearts On Fire standalone shops spanning 500 cities in Greater China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and the United States.

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Gubelin Group Returns as JNA Awards Partner

The 2013 JNA Award winners.

The Gubelin Group, known for its fine jewelry that merges Swiss goldsmith craftsmanship with precious gemstones, and its world-renowned scientific gemstone laboratory, has returned for the second year in a row as an “Honored Partner” of the JNA Awards 2014. 

The Swiss-based company joins “Headline Partners” Rio Tinto and Chow Tai Fook, and fellow Honored Partners Israel Diamond Institute, KARP Group and Shanghai Diamond Exchange for the event to be held September 16, during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair.

Organized by Jewellery News Asia, Asia’s leading jewelry trade publication, the annual JNA Awards honors innovators and leaders of the international jewelry industry in manufacturing, branding, retailing, best business practice, innovation, sustainability and outstanding contribution.

In 2013, the awards recognized 16 recipients across 16 categories at a ceremony and gala dinner attended by over 500 industry luminaries at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong. Industry pioneers Leung Sik Wah and Wallace Chan received the "Lifetime Achievement" and "Outstanding Contribution of the Year" awards, respectively, for their distinguished service and accomplishments.

“We are very pleased to welcome back Gubelin's firm support for the JNA Awards. Their deep commitment to top quality and professionalism not only brings lustre to this most anticipated event, it also strongly emphasizes the Awards' reputation as a platform for raising the standard and quality of the jewelry and gemstone industry,” said Letitia Chow, founder of JNA and director of Business Development - Jewellery Group at UBM Asia.

“For Gubelin, the awards marks one of the most important events of the year for the jewelry industry,” said Raphael Gubelin, CEO and Board Member of the Gubelin Group. “It's not only a place to meet friends and partners to strengthen relationships, but also a night where the industry's biggest movers celebrate. And that motivates companies and their employees to constantly evolve and excel.”

Headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, Gubelin is a family-owned business now led by sixth-generation members with operations covering jewelry manufacturing and retail. It has eight boutiques in key locations across Switzerland selling jewelry and watches, and one boutique each in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong focused on selling only jewelry pieces. Last year, Gubelin enhanced its presence in Hong Kong by inaugurating its VIP Salon in Gloucester Tower at The Landmark and opening the Gubelin Academy that offers courses aimed at trade professionals, private clients and connoisseurs of colored gemstones.

The group also operates its world-renowned Gubelin Gem Lab, one of the oldest and most respected institutions of its kind, widely trusted on by dealers, auction houses, royal families and collectors since the 1920s.

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Chow Tai Fook Set to Issue IPO that Could Raise $3 Billion

Hong Kong jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook is looking to raise nearly $3 billion in an initial public offering that would be one of the largest in Hong Kong this year, according to published reports.

The company will offer 1.05 billion shares at HK$15 to HK$21 each, putting the total deal size at up to HK$22.05 billion ($2.83 billion), Reuters reports. In another report by The Standard in Hong Kong, the IPO could raise HK$23.34 ($2.99 billion). The IPO would value the company at about $27 billion.

The deal would surpass the $2.5 billion IPO by Milan-based Prada SpA in Hong Kong in June. Commodities company Glencore raised nearly $10 billion in a Hong Kong and London dual listing in May, with most of the funds raised in the London portion of the offering, Reuters reports.

Chow Tai Fook, controlled by billionaire New World Development Co. chairman Cheng Yu-tung, has about 1,500 stores, most of them in Greater China. The company also has shops in Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. About 80 stores are located in Hong Kong and the gambling center of Macau.

Chow Tai Fook will be shopping the IPO to large investors on Monday, with pricing slated for December 8, Reuters reports. The stock will trade under the symbol “1929,” the year the company was founded.