Entering into the 90th anniversary, Chow Tai Took Jewellery Group (CTF) has built a complete jewellery supply chain from sourcing, design, manufacturing to sales. While consumers nowadays are keen on unique designs and delicate craftsmanship, the rapidly growing jewellery industry is facing craftsman shortage. In view of this, CTF founded Chow Tai Fook Master Studio (Master Studio) in 2013, focusing on producing custom-made high-end jewellery in artistic style, personalised and collectable, to inherit traditional craftsmanship and nurture the next generation of talented craftsmen.
“The establishment of Master Studio is a way to let the industry know that we have attached great importance to craftsmanship inheritance,” CTF’s managing director Kent Wong told Hong Kong Jewellery. “One of our objectives is to put craftsmen who pursue high level of craftsmanship and aesthetics in a crucial position to carry forward the spirit of craftsmen. Also, we hope to play an exemplary role in the industry, letting practitioners see career advancement opportunities and strive to be a member of Master Studio from the primary level.”
As the top production team in CTF, Master Studio selects talents internally according to some criteria. Craftsmen in the company who want to join the team must have at least 20 years of working experience with exquisite techniques and unique traits in jewellery making. A total of 200 craftsmen are in Master Studio among which 50 are the most talented. The headcount will maintain at around 200, said Wong.
Master Studio adopts project-based development mode, creating works based on different themes in cooperation with the designers of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Creative Centre. Teamwork runs through its whole manufacturing process. Every piece of jewellery made by Master Studio's craftsmen reflects their exquisite craftsmanship and techniques.
According to Wong, products from Master Studio mainly include high-end jewellery for CTF’s auctions, personalised custom-made products, and special collections. For instance, The Palace Museum Collection which was launched last year came from craftsmen’s visit to the Imperial Palace in Beijing to know Chinese royal jewellery. After the visit, they utilised some original concepts and elements to re-design jewellery that fits today’s consumer needs. Moreover, Master Studio maintains exchange and collaboration with globally-renowned jewellery designers such as Wallace Chan, Stephen Webster, etc.
Since the establishment, Master Studio has been well-recognised by the industry. In 2016, Master Studio was entitled 'Technician Workstation of Guangdong Province', the only jewellery technician workstation in Guangdong, by Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province. In the 6th National Gold Industry Vocational Skills Competition 2017 co-organised by China Gold Association, among the total 120 contestants, 30 craftsmen from Master Studio won half of the awards including the first and second prizes of Group Award (precious metal craftsmen).
Regarding the development of Master Studio, Wong said: “So far, the craftsmanship of our jewellery has made great progress, focusing more on quality improvement. We will be patient and develop further step-by-step, upholding this high standard and endeavouring to be better.”
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