With a background in fine art and design consultancy, Daniel Blyth and his wife established KMC Design in Hong Kong in 2004 and opened its retail store at PMQ in May 2014. KMC Design seeks to inject fresh, contemporary blood to the time-honoured tradition of jadeite jewellery.
“At first we were only making pieces for ourselves and friends. Our designs have great feedback and a business was gradually formed,” said Blyth to Hong Kong Jewellery. A jadeite collector himself, Blyth feels an urge to refresh the culture of jadeite so that it is not only for the exclusive enjoyment of the rich. In pursuit of this goal, the brand includes entry-level products in their collections, hoping that friendly prices and modern designs will encourage more people to wear jadeite.
Understanding jewellery as a form of visual communication, the brand believes in abstract, personalised forms that speak of individuality and allow room for imagination at the same time. The team has recently received a merit in the Design for Asia Awards 2015 for their Flowing Mist collection. The process of this design began with thin, elongated jadeite pieces which are not easy to work with. A most common practice is to drape pavé-set diamonds around it but the team attempted to produce a surprising design that drew inspiration from the ever-changing shapes and movements of clouds and traditional Chinese symbols. The resulting design flaunts an aesthetic that resonates between abstract and concrete forms while inviting viewers’ interpretation and appreciation.
In addition to visual appeal, each of their collections also carries a message. For instance, their Infinitude ring embodies the repeating cycles in life with a literally endless construction. Apart from being an adornment, the ring is designed to remind the wearer to surrender control and relax into the flow of life with a child’s heartFor KMC Design, the greatest challenge of working with jadeite is to break through its conventional image. Interestingly enough, their designs actually leverage this impression to highlight the tension between modern, simple designs and the plethora of symbolisms and cultural meanings of jadeite. “Conventional jadeite jewellery gives greater emphasis on the value of the material than the design, while we think an ideal piece of jewellery should be a blend of quality materials, design and overall harmony between the piece and the wearer,” said Blyth.
Aside from finished pieces, they also provide custom-made jewellery and a unique ‘Jade Reborn’ service. This service is partly made possible by the opening of their retail store as it gives the brand increased exposure and more opportunities to interact with customers. The idea is to give an existing piece of jadeite or jewellery a second chance by redesigning it according to the wearer’s needs and feel. In one case, they redesigned a huai-gu pendent, which was worn by the client as a child, into a stylish ring suitable for day-to-day occasions. They think that jadeite jewellery should be worn often so that the gemstone could interact with the wearer.
In the future, KMC Design will continue to innovate. In particular they are experimenting with other materials such as blue amber to see how it works with jadeite. The team is also considering infusing the concept of healing stones into their jewellery. In terms of business operation, they have recently received product showcase invitations from different organisations in addition to their existing showcase at HKTDC Design Gallery. All of these efforts boil down to their single self-assigned mission - to promote modern jadeite jewellery culture in Hong Kong.
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