Cindy Chao Diamond Bangle, ‘Ribbon Collection’. Estimate: HK$650,000–1,200,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
While it’s true that classic jewellery is timeless, to imagine it fixed in the past is to miss its power to be reborn with every era. Through styling, design innovation, and cultural resonance, heritage pieces transcend ornament to become living art, expressions that evolve with the wearer while honouring their storied origins.
The Hong Kong Jewels Auction — held as part of Phillips’ 10th anniversary celebrations in Asia — presents emeralds as meditations on serenity, rubies as theatre, pearls as reinventions, and jadeite as cultural bridges. The auction is less a presentation of rarity than a meditation on how the canon of high jewellery can shimmer anew.
Emeralds: Tranquillity in vivid green
Jewellery crafted from natural stones is increasingly embraced as a reflection of mindfulness and emotional balance, and emeralds epitomise this desire for serenity. Their saturated greens suggest intellectual beauty tempered by feminine individuality, while tradition links them to the heart chakra as symbols of compassion and love.
An Emerald and Diamond Bracelet set with fourteen graduated step-cut emeralds weighing a total of 16.09 carats. Estimate: HK$3,200,000–4,000,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
At the heart of the sale is a Colombian no-oil emerald and diamond bracelet, its 16.09 carats of emeralds alive with luminous depth and artfully paired with diamonds to heighten contrast and clarity. The bracelet finds a counterpart in a pair of jadeite and diamond earrings, equally radiant in colour and attractive. Together, they demonstrate how nature’s artistry, left unenhanced, achieves extraordinary power.
Rubies and sapphires: sculptural drama
If emeralds whisper with serenity, rubies and sapphires command with theatre.
A Ruby and Diamond Necklace set with cushion-shaped and oval rubies weighing approx. 65.02 carats in total. Estimate: HK$2,600,000–4,000,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
Offered this season is a magnificent ruby and diamond necklace suspending a graduated fringe of fleur de lis, decorated with cushion-shaped and oval rubies weighing approximately 65.02 carats in total. On the neck, ornament becomes performance, crimson light cascading with regal drama.
Cartier Sapphire and Diamond Ring set with a cushion-shaped sapphire weighing approx. 20.70 carats. Estimate: HK$1,300,000–1,900,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
Balancing this fiery energy is the cool gravitas of Cartier’s 20.70-carat Burmese sapphire and diamond ring, where a single gem seems to distill the night sky into a wearable sculpture. Both pieces transform grandeur into art, their presence felt as much as seen.
Geometry and design as language
Classic jewellery often uses geometry as a bridge between timeless elegance and bold, structured aesthetics. Van Cleef & Arpels has long turned to nature as inspiration, with the feather motif recurring throughout its history. This season’s diamond feather brooch captures organic curvature that mimics the softness and movement of real plumage, pavé-set with precision to echo the delicacy of light itself.
Model is wearing a necklace converted from a diamond "feather" brooch. Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Brooch. Estimate: HK$260,000–360,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
Matched with a complementary jewel, the brooch reveals how organic forms can be distilled into design. The fancy Light Brown-Yellow Diamond and Onyx Ring showcases bold geometry in a kite-shaped 5.55-carat diamond, its angularity softened by onyx inlays that lend balance and rhythm.
Whimsy and narrative: Cindy Chao’s ribbons
Whimsy finds expression in Cindy Chao’s acclaimed Ribbon Collection, where ribbons and bow-like curves are transformed into sculptural jewels that capture both nostalgia and joy. This season, Phillips presents three exquisite creations: a bangle, a ring, and a pair of ear pendants. Among them, the mesmerising Ribbon diamond bangle is a breathtaking testament to Chao’s ability to coax precious metal into fluid forms, creating pieces that seem to flutter in mid-air.
A selection from Cindy Chao’s acclaimed Ribbon Collection.
From left to right: A Pair of Diamond Ear Pendants,
Estimate: HK$650,000–1,200,000; Diamond Bangle, Estimate: HK$650,000–1,200,000; Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring, Estimate: HK$260,000–600,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
These designs speak directly to a generation that values storytelling and individuality. The ribbons recall childhood motifs while elevating them into works of art, blurring the boundaries between ornament and sculpture and appealing to collectors who seek jewels that resonate with identity as much as beauty.
Pearls with a twist
Piaget Cultured Pearl and Diamond Necklace, ‘Limelight Mediterranean Garden’. Estimate: HK$240,000 –400,000. The Hong Kong Jewels Auction.
Pearls, long synonymous with quiet elegance, are here reimagined in modern form, from layered ropes draped with ease to sculptural silhouettes that challenge convention. Yet, among these reinterpretations, the natural pearl remains the ultimate treasure. Increasingly scarce due to environmental change, natural pearls are coveted not only for their beauty but also for their storied history and emotional resonance.
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