For more than a century, the world of high jewellery has revolved around a familiar constellation of houses: Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and their peers. For younger designers trying to break into its upper echelons, the industry has often been defined by heritage, European codes and a high barrier to entry.Enter Feng J, the Hangzhou-born, Shanghai-based artist-jeweller who trained in Paris to master the codes of high jewellery – before developing a language unmistakably her own.“I had to carve out a place for myself,” she said. “High jewellery was not naturally associated with China, and 10 years ago there were very few Asian designers in the field. Once people saw my work, many of the prejudices they may have held began to fade.”Her auction results point to that growing recognition. In 2020, her Les Jardins de Giverny necklace sold at Phillips Hong Kong for US$2.6 million (about S$3.31 million), while another piece, the Fountain On Fire Ruby and Diamond ring,later sold at Sotheby’s for US$1.6 million.
Rihanna wearing Feng J's Coeur-Rouge bangle with rubies, spinels, and lacquer on gold. (Photo: Savage x Fenty and Feng J)
Celebrity clients have also helped bring Feng J to a wider audience. Rihanna has worn her sculptural La Coeur en Rouge bangle, while Victoria Song of K-pop group f(x) appeared in the designer’s Aqua Gingko Leaf earrings. Kylie Jenner has also been linked to Feng J’s international clientele.So sought after is her work that it has even drawn the attention of museums. Her creations have been displayed or collected by institutions including the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Shanghai’s Long Museum.At the heart of Feng J’s appeal is a visual language that expands what high jewellery can be. She blends Impressionist ideas of light and colour with Chinese artistic sensibilities. Organic forms recur throughout her work – dragonflies suspended in mid-air, clovers unfolding in gemstones, flowers rendered in brilliant gradients.The real surprise is not that Feng J has broken into the upper ranks of high jewellery. It is that, outside collecting circles, her name is still not more widely known.FROM HANGZHOU TO GIVERNY
