Cindy Chao The Art Jewel
Cindy Chao The Art Jewel is a Taiwanese high jewellery house founded by designer Cindy Chao in Taipei in 2004. It is known for sculptural, one-of-a-kind jewels, including an annual butterfly piece.
| Founded | 2004, Taipei |
|---|---|
| Founder | Cindy Chao |
| Signature | Annual Butterfly |
| Lines | Black Label, White Label |
| Website | cindychao.com |
What is Cindy Chao The Art Jewel?
Cindy Chao The Art Jewel is a high jewellery brand founded by Taiwanese designer Cindy Chao, who opened her first showroom in Taipei in 2004. Chao, the daughter of a sculptor, learned sculpting techniques from her father and has cited her grandfather, a temple architect, as an influence on her architectural approach.
Products and positioning
The house works with precious metals and gemstones, using lost-wax casting to create sculptural pieces. Its work is organised in two lines:
- Black Label Masterpieces: limited annual creations, each named, numbered and dated
- White Label Collection
Since 2008 Chao has created one Annual Butterfly each year, with each taking more than 18 months to complete.
Museum collections
Chao's jewels have entered major museum collections. The Royal Butterfly Brooch was donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Ruby Butterfly Brooch joined the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2020, and the titanium Peony Brooch entered the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2021.
Why it matters
Cindy Chao is one of the few Asian jewellers whose work sits in leading Western museum collections, demonstrating that high jewellery authorship is no longer centred solely on Paris and New York.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Cindy Chao?
Cindy Chao is a Taiwanese jewellery designer who founded Cindy Chao The Art Jewel in Taipei in 2004.
Which museums hold Cindy Chao jewellery?
Her pieces are held by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.