Wallace Chan’s New Book Takes Readers Inside His Jewels

"Wallace Chan Dream Light Water" is now available in the US. It contains 86 of his sculptural jewels in extreme close-ups and in their actual size

It’s my belief that 100 years from now Wallace Chan won’t be known as a jeweler or jewelry artist, but simply as an artist. He will be considered among the best of his time, if not longer. That his groundbreaking gem carving and faceting techniques and his jewelry making skills will be taught at art schools and gemology schools around the world.

The China native and now Hong Kong-based jewelry artist who grew up in extreme poverty is already successful beyond his wildest imagination among the most elite in the world in money and taste. His notoriety will likely grow with the January 28 release of the book “Wallace Chan Dream Light Water,” designed to open up the process of his techniques to the public.

Wallace Chan with Sarah Coffin, a curator at Cooper Hewitt Museum (left) and Cherry Rao

On the day of the book’s release Chan gave a lecture at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. The book contains photographs of 86 of his sculptural jewels in extreme close-ups and in their actual size. Even at $280 each, the museum’s allotment of the 380-page tome sold out before Chan took the stage.

Chan discussed his quest for knowledge even though he was too poor to receive a formal education.

“I started from reading books I could not understand to wanting books I could not afford and today I have made a book of my own,” Chan told an audience of jewelry and art professionals and enthusiasts at Cooper Hewitt. “I have met a lot of challenges along the way.”

From concept to publishing, the book took seven years to make, Chan told the audience, or as he told me previously, “nothing comes easy” for him.

Vividity brooch centered with a rare elbaite tourmaline

Chan also brought one of his more famous creations with him as an exhibit for the event: “Vividity,” a colorful brooch centered with a rare elbaite tourmaline.

Chan told me in October when he first came to New York to promote the book that he chose to photograph the jewels in extreme detail in order to reveal the techniques he uses so others can learn from them—such as his use of gems as prongs instead of metal, how he manipulates precious metals, and his approach to faceting jade.

“Books are just like jewelry,” Chan told the audience through his editor and translator, Cherry Rao. “They are embodiments of human cultures and emotions. With this book I hope to show you a world that you cannot see—a micro world of jewelry where you can find the hidden truth, goodness and beauty in the gemstone and the craftsmanship.

A close-up view of the Now and Always necklace featuring the "Wallace Cut"

The book cover is a photograph of his most famous gem carving technique: The Wallace Cut, where he creates a reverse image in the back of a gem using cameo and intaglio carving techniques that result in a multiple-dimensional trompe l’oeil effect when seen from the front of the gem.

“On the front you can see five faces but actually I only carved one face at the back of the stone and the four more faces you see are actually the result of reflections that was created by precise calculations and faceting,” Chan said.

A close-up view of the Fluttery Ragtime Brooch

“It was reverse thinking combined with reverse carving motions. What you see on the right I actually carved on the left and what you see that is deep inside the stone was actually carved shallowly and by design.”

A full view of the Fluttery Ragtime Brooch

It took Chan two and a half years to master this approach to jewelry carving, which he first revealed in 1987, and another six months to build the tools, which include dentist instruments adapted for gem carving. He then had to carve while the gem was submerged in water because the carving tools generated too much heat that could damage or crack the gem. Not to mention burn his hands.

An extreme close up view of Parure Plum Flowers in Snow

“As I was carving in water it meant I could not see the details so I was doing the carving stroke by stroke,” he told the audience. “I had to carve one line and then I had to take it out of the water and check it to see if it is okay. I put it back down into the water to do another stroke. It was a long process but I entered a stage where my eyes, my heart my hands were moving as one. By that time I could carve in the water for two or three minutes without looking or checking.

“It was the craziest period in my life. At that time I was completely lost in the magic of light and shadow.”

A full view of the Fluttery Ragtime Brooch

Chan’s reputation transcends jewels and goes into art. He is a sculptor by training and still creates many traditional works of sculpture as well as large glass etchings. Sarah Coffin, a curator at Cooper Hewitt who led the lecture, asked Chan about his artistic approach to his jewelry designs.

“Painters use paint, musicians use notes and I use gemstones to create,” Chan said. “Jewelry is the same as paintings or music. It is a form of expression in art. For more than four decades gemstones have been the most important language I use to communicate with nature and the universe. The carvings, sculptured gemstone cuttings or jewelry creations use gemstones as my medium … and through creation I become one with nature.”

Heart in Bloom brooch

The book, Wallace Chan Dream Light Water,” published by Rizzoli, is co-written by Juliet de La Rochefoucauld, a gemologist, jewelry historian, author and lecturer. The 380-page 11-in. by 15-in. book contains 260 color photographs and illustrations. It retails for $280. Demand has already proven to be strong as the allotment at the Cooper-Hewitt museum sold out during Chan’s lecture Thursday.

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Dim Sum with JNN: Wallace Chan, ‘Everything In This World Is Alive’

Wallace Chan and an example of his famous Wallace Cut. Photo by Anthony DeMarco 

Wallace Chan, 59, moves quickly, smiling and eagerly greeting me as he enters his showroom in central Hong Kong on a recent Saturday morning. He’s dressed casually in an oversized grey cotton shirt and a flat cap. Beneath the cap his eyes are intense as he strokes his graying beard. With pride he says he lost about 30 pounds after learning that he was on the brink of getting diabetes. He took one prescribed pill and hated it. He decided instead to radically change his diet.

When Chan speaks he motions with his hands, sometimes pressing his thumb against his fingers to emphasize his words. He speaks in Cantonese for long periods about a variety of subjects, stressing certain words as he discusses how just about everything in the universe relates to the art of jewelry making.

Wallace Chan making a point. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Cherry Rao, who serves as Chan’s writer, editor and translator, sits across the table from Chan staring directly at him, patiently listening. When he finishes she nods her head and not only translates but summarizes his thoughts.

For the past three years while attending the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, I managed to spend some time with a Hong Kong-based jewelry designer. Last year it was Mayuri Vara, founder of Vara of London. A year earlier, I spoke with Dennis Chan, creative director and co-founder of luxury jewelry brand, Qeelin.

The "Fish Dream" brooch with pearls and colored gems. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

This year I hit the jackpot with Wallace Chan. He is arguably the world’s top living jewelry artist, known for many innovations, particularly the “Wallace Cut,” an unconventional carving technique that creates a multi-layered, 3D relief illustration in transparent materials. He is also known for his pioneering work with titanium, ground-breaking gem-setting techniques and for faceting and carving jade. He has exhibited at the past two Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, a famed antiques and jewelry show. He is the only Asian jeweler to be given this honor. Those who attended those two events, whom I spoke with, marveled at how crowded his booth was throughout the exhibitions.

"Bright Star, Forever Dancing Series” brooch. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

I recently spoke with three jewelry specialists from two international auction houses about Chan and they describe him as if he inhibits his own space among the greatest living jewelry designers. They marvel at his original techniques (particularly his sculptural proficiency), his artistry and even his engineering skills.

His jewels, his thoughts and everything about him reflect his devotion to Buddhism. Something he took up when he was commissioned to create a stupa for the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He spent two-and-a-half years on the project and did nothing else.

The world's largest purple sapphire, 164 carats. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Maybe this Buddhist philosophy was the reason for Chan’s extremely generous and hospitable welcome. My meeting in his showroom/office unexpectedly lasted four hours, and included dim sum at a local restaurant.

For Chan, “Everything in this world is alive,” including gems.

The famous Wallace Cut.  Photo by Anthony DeMarco

“When he looks inside a gemstone, his mind goes inside it. The light, colors, reflections, he can hear its rhythm. It’s almost like being in utopia,” Rao translates.

Chan’s next statement is in a totally different direction. He talks about food, music, water and the lives of objects all around us and how it relates to his work.

Another look at the famous Wallace Cut.  Photo by Anthony DeMarco

“He loves ice cream, a lot. When ice cream melts on the tip of his tongue he imagines melting with the ice cream. Good music has the same feeling. Everything melts with ice cream and music. When he sees a gemstone he likes, he can communicate with it, like music and ice cream.”

Rao then translates his next thoughts of comparing gems to women and jewelry as his children.

“When he sees a gemstone, he has a real feel for it. It’s like a lady he really wants to impress. He is considerate like a lady. He really likes it when the gemstone likes him back…. He sees every piece of his jewelry creations as his own child.”

"Return of the King" bangle in white jade, diamond and titanium. Photo by Anthony DeMarco 

Classical and traditional Chinese music is very spiritual for him. He compares great jewels to great music. “When you look at it, it is giving you something for your soul.”

Finally, there’s this: “When he creates for the gemstone, he lives for the gemstone. He forgets his own existence…. He just doesn't want to let go of the moment.”

White jade and gold bracelet looks like sparkling snow. Photo by Anthony DeMarco 

One of his greatest feats, although he refuses to admit this, is “A Heritage in Bloom,” a necklace made of green and white jade, colored diamonds and 24 D-color, internally flawless diamonds. Hong Kong-based jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook commissioned Chan to create a jewel from diamonds cut from the Cullinan Heritage, an exceptionally rare 507.55 carat Type IIa rough diamond. Released in September, one of the most amazing things about this necklace (among many amazing things) is that it can be worn 27 different ways.

A pendant necklace with a blue diamond by Wallace Chan. Photo by Anthony DeMarco  

Chan is in a position in his career where he can choose his clientele and he will refuse to do a piece if he feels the person isn’t ready to properly appreciate the work. He may tell some of his customers not to buy anything from him for a year.

“If they still miss this piece, still want it, we can talk about collecting it.”

Asymmetrical Pea Pod earrings. Photo by Anthony DeMarco  

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