3 edgy high jewellery designers to watch out for in 2018

May 4 , 2018

Feng.J’s Le Cygny brooch with crystal opals, moonstone, rose-cut diamonds, diamonds, and 18ct gold

China’s Feng.J nurtures extraordinary blooms from Parisian haute joaillerie; Nghi Nguyen’s darkly urban eye speaks to fearless, urban women; and Bea Bongiasca applies youthful Italian creativity to Asian pop culture.

Three rising jewellery creators, from three corners of the globe, bring a distinctive flair to their studios.

Feng.J nurtures extraordinary blooms from the haute joaillerie capital; Nghi Nguyen’s darkly urban eye speaks to fearless women in New York and beyond; and Bea Bongiasca applies a youthful Italian creativity to Asian pop culture.

Chinese high-jewellery designer Feng.J worked for the jewellery department of Alexander McQueen in London and then established her own brand in Paris and Shanghai.

Feng.J is a young master who is reviving European craftsmanship via a grand tour of the Orient. China-born, the 32-year-old jeweller has been commuting between Paris and Shanghai since she founded her brand in France in 2016. She had chosen Paris for its jewellery heritage and uses a chief craftsman of long standing, steps from Place Vendôme.

Feng.J’s Leaf of Season earrings with rose-cut diamonds, yellow diamonds, 18ct yellow gold, and 18ct gold

Though the foundations of Feng.J’s jewels are evidently European, her Chinese aesthetics are always at play, seen in her love of carved jade along with her homeland’s art and culture. There is even a court painter in her family line and she believes “rubies, sapphires and emeralds are all paints on a palette”. Feng.J enjoys using gemstone hues and chroma tones to emphasise the dimensions of her dramatic titanium structures as well as light and shade. She adds: “My pieces look like contemporary dimensional collages.”

Feng.J Le Cygny earrings with crystal opal, Marquise diamonds, rose-cut diamonds, and 18ct gold

Asked which women enjoy her work, she quickly responds: “Elegant yet daring”.

Feng.J La Orchidée necklace suite in blue

Another unique concept is the asymmetrical pair of Le Cygny earrings. The choice of pastel blue/lavender Ethiopian opal is used to summon a serene scene she observed on her regular walks along the River Seine in her adopted city, where the admirer of Impressionism saw a glinting wave and some swans idling on the water. It forms part of a parure that includes a brooch with a swan motif.

Milan-born Bea Bongiasca’s inspiration stems from her interest and experiences in East Asia.

Bea Bongiasca is also a jewellery designer who has benefited from a fine art perspective accrued in London, in her case Central Saint Martins, where she undertook a BA in jewellery design.

“My approach is very conceptual because, to me, the ideas are what make a piece unique as well as reflect your identity and interests as a designer,” explains the 27-year-old Milan-based Bongiasca.