How jewellery designer Ben Choi’s nostalgic creations wooed Naomi Campbell as a fan

How did you end up becoming a jewellery designer? “I’ve always liked to paint and draw, and studied art, design and education at Polytechnic University. About 13 years ago, I visited the Hong Kong Jewellery Show and was inspired to design jewellery. I did a few courses and end­ed up working for companies in Hong Kong and Singapore, including King Fook Jewellery.

“About five years ago I started to post some of my sketches on Instagram and people would message me asking where they could buy my pieces. It just grew from there and two years ago I quit my job and devoted myself to BC Joaillerie full time.”

Why did you focus on fashion jewellery? “People today spend less money, and the look has become quite toned down. I use silver, which is more accessible and allows me to be more creative and to experiment. We use a workshop in Lyon, France, to make the wax moulds and do the enamelling. Even so, our prices are reasonable and range from a few hundred dollars to HK$4,800 for pieces with small diamonds. I create fun jewellery that people don’t mind spending money on.”

Your collections are nostalgic. What inspires them? “When I used to work at big companies, they would send us on these inspiration trips to Europe. It was great but so much of what we saw wasn’t relevant or recognisable to people here.

“These days, when you go out and shop, there’s so much to buy. There are many beautiful things but nothing has meaning or makes you smile. I want people to connect to my jewellery easily, so I try to bring a story that everyone recognises, whether it’s inspired by our daily life in Hong Kong or childhood memories. These themes are univer­sal and recognisable to all.”

Which collections are your favourite? “I have about 10 collec­tions. My first design was the pinky promise ring, which is a pinky ring. The style has become a signature. The Monster collec­tion was inspired by my sister, who always ends messages with emojis. The monkey is based on the concept of ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’. With both collections, you can play around with combinations of rings to form different expressions. My newest is called The Secret Garden and was inspired by my love of gardening. It features cute animals like lady bugs and snails on malachite rings.”

Naomi Campbell was spotted wearing your pieces – how did that happen? “A friend who knew her offered to introduce us when she was in Hong Kong last year. I wasn’t able to meet her in person but I gave him some of my jewellery for her to see. She loved it and took a photo for me, which was super sweet. It really helped with publicity because people in Hong Kong don’t support local brands easily.”

Do you plan to expand the collection beyond Hong Kong? “Right now we are carried in a few shops in Singapore and Shanghai. I would love to expand my network but the beauty of what I do is that I can take my time. One thing running my own business has taught me is that it’s so easy to start but it’s very difficult to last. I hope to do more retail in Hong Kong, because I feel it is important to conquer the market I know best first.”