Diana Zhang, the first Chinese female jewellery designer who participated in Paris Biennale des Antiquaires, just started her jewellery business some three years ago. Her unbounded creativity and the perseverance to follow her first intention earned her a coveted place to appear on the stage amongst the world’s most legendary brands. She shared with Hong Kong Jewellery the joy of pursuing dreams at her namesake brand Diana Zhang’s press preview in November.
An ardent art lover, Zhang is a regular of museums. As she developed a special interest in jewellery, she paid frequent visits to global jewellery shows and auctions, enrolled in gemmological courses with the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and picked up sketching techniques. And then she ventured into jewellery design. The horizon-widening experiences in visiting the Paris antique show in 2012 started her career as an haute joaillerie designer. At the Baselworld 2013 she met the CEO of Martin Du Daffoy, Cyrille De Foucaud who visited her atelier during his stay in Hong Kong after the show. Astonished to see Zhang’s ingenious design and intricate craftsmanship, he invited the designer to exhibit with him at the 2014 Paris Biennale des Antiquaires. Since then, Diana Zhang has become well-known in the world of bespoke high jewellery.
To the Paris show Zhang brought the ‘One Year in China’ diamond jewellery collection with themes of winter plum blossom, spring orchid, summer lotus, autumn leaf and green bamboo, blended traditional Chinese culture with international aesthetic craftsmanship. She handpicked every piece of gemstones, with stringent requirements for diamonds (D to F colour and VS clarity grade) as well as craftsmanship. The Plum Blossom, King of the Winter hand piece set with fine Burmese pigeon blood rubies and diamonds, for instance, took the designer a year and a half to finish. The piece can be detached as a bracelet, a brooch and two rings for different occasions to demonstrate the versatile personality of modern women. Other pieces namely Orchid Queen, Lotus after the Rain, Dancing Red Leaves and Royal Bamboo are also made to evince their nobility, elegance and virtuousness.
“My jewellery speaks for the current era. Denoting freedom, independence, perfectionism and individualism; it serves as a medium for women to express their personality,” she said.
Diana Zhang’s jewellery is highly praised by the trade for its “original ideas and exquisite craftsmanship”. She surged from a complete unknown to a world-celebrated designer in just a few years’ time, which is indeed a strenuous task. She said: “I did not go through any proper training in the field, nor did I work for any jewellery company before. Such a background allows me to think out of the box, bringing about unimaginable ideas based on a woman’s mere fondness for jewellery. In the course of production our craftsmen encountered numerous difficulties owing to the lack of technical considerations during the design process. I rose to the challenge by travelling to Paris, Geneva and other cities in search of technological solutions.
“The enameling technique applied to Lotus after the Rain and the Orchid King necklace realises a more authentic look which is less glossy than others. I had consulted some painters and friends in the architecture industry for the best technique which had undergone comprehensive testing. I am the only one in Asia who can achieve that.”
The fame and gain that followed Zhang’s presentation at the Paris show did not change her perseverance in high jewellery making. She said: “I am here because I love jewellery. I would not have been here if I loved money. Striding all alone along the road is distressing. It takes six months to two years to finish a single piece, which is not quite preferred by girls. I take pride in wearing and keeping each piece of my jewellery. There are times when I walk a jewellery show for two or three days just to look for a right gemstone. I did not consider much about how my brand is like. I just want to be myself, to let the world know there is a creator like me in the East. People reckon that high jewellery should be in Paris, in Geneva; I want to let them know my jewellery is made in Hong Kong.”
As an avid high jewellery designer, Zhang has no intention for the mass market. “My jewellery starts at US$100,000 per item. The business partner in France once asked me to launch an affordable line. I did try actually; but it turned out to be as much as US$100,000. I don’t work within a budget. The production cost comes not until the piece is done. If I create something I don’t even want to keep for myself, I can’t make it happen,” she said.
According to Zhang, every piece of jewellery has its own life and a story to tell. What is the Diana Zhang story? She told: “When I ventured into the business I’m married and with a baby. For a woman like me it is terribly difficult to pursue dreams, especially for those who are in their 30s. I hope my story would inspire all women to keep pursuing their dreams no matter what. Go for it if you want. I feel so good when I find myself in the world.”
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