Igniting creativity

[Sponsored Article]

A master artisan can turn a rough diamond into a brilliant one, and then it is up to the designer to enhance its beauty in ingenious ways.  A perfectly cut diamond is an endless source of inspiration, an essence magnificently captured in the  “Ignite Inspiration Exhibition” held at the K11 Art Mall earlier in November.

The Hong Kong public was fortunate to witness this first collaboration between Hearts On Fire, the luxury jewellery brand from the U.S., and Stephen Webster, acclaimed British jewellery designer.  The exhibition showcases the works of five elite designers under the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault initiative, who have been chosen to create breathtaking jewellery using Hearts On Fire’s diamonds. 

Exclusively available in Hong Kong at Chow Tai Fook, Hearts On Fire’s diamonds are symbols of sophistication and prestige, and revered for their unique cutting techniques.  The house selects less than 0.1% of the world's top quality rough diamonds to be cut and hand-polished in accordance with strict specifications.  Every facet of a diamond is cut at 100x magnification (10 times the industry standard) by master artisans, displaying the perfect symmetrical pattern of eight arrows and eight hearts.  As a result, every single facet shows the same precise angle and unrivalled brilliance.

Developing talents

Advocating creativity through premium materials, Hearts On Fire shares the vision of the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault initiative curated by Stephen Webster in offering emerging talents the platform and freedom to explore the boundless world of jewellery design, laying the foundation of this first-ever collaboration.

The Hong Kong exhibition was the first stop of the Asia-touring exhibition.  It has now travelled to Shanghai where more diamond lovers can appreciate the creativity of these new stars.  The designers will also visit a diamond factory in the mainland to share their ideas and insights with experienced artisans.

New aesthetics uncovered

The five jewellery designers were chosen for their extraordinary creativity and exceptional craftsmanship that marry perfectly with Hearts On Fire’s precious diamonds. 

Inspired by the elegant lotus, Alice Cicolini’s tear-shaped pendants feature the exclusive double round diamond setting to evoke a sense of sophistication.  Imogen Belfield subtly integrates natural and architectural aesthetics in her works, and interprets Hearts On Fire’s diamonds with a punk twist.  Using geometrical Whitby jet as the key material, Jacqueline Cullen adorns every meticulously crafted point, line and plane with Hearts On Fire’s diamonds to create a fascinating interplay of light and shadows.  The works by Jo Hayes Ward showcases the dazzling brilliance of diamonds set in the 18K honeycomb-like surface by manipulating the light refraction from the metal and diamonds, revealing an intriguingly complex texture. Last but not least, the two collections presented by Tomasz Donocik set round diamonds in various sizes into scintillating bubbles or on trapezoid facets to create a multilayer effect.