Edmond Chin of Etcetera Ltd., One to Watch at Upcoming Auctions

Dripping with Burmese rubies and pear-cut diamonds, a pair of jaw-dropping chandelier earrings, designed by Etcetera Ltd.'s founder Edmond Chin, were among the top five lots sold at Christie's Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale at the end of May. With a winning bid of $3.9 million, a private Asian buyer affirmed once again that this Hong Kong-based designer is one to watch. Born in Singapore, Mr. Chin has been designing jewelry since the early 1990s. His first piece, a green jade Huaigu necklace which Bulgari made at his request, sold at Christie's Hong Kong for $577,000 in 1994, more than doubling its original estimate. This inaugural success marks a turning point that would be six years in the making. Mr. Chin began his career in jewelry at the age of 14, when he began collecting jewels made by the Straits Chinese, the descendants of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia's earliest Chinese immigrants. By the time he graduated from college, he had amassed a museum-worthy collection, which he exhibited in 1991 at Singapore's National Museum. Gilding the Phoenix: The Straits Chinese and Their Jewellery showcased the 22k-gold jewels which are a stunning blend of the ancient practices of Chinese and Malay craftsmen. It was this show that opened the doors for Mr. Chin to go to work for Christie's Hong Kong in their jadeite department. In the year 2000, six years after his first piece sold at auction, Edmond Chin left Christie's to establish his own design firm, Etcetera Ltd. With traditions rooted in ancient practice, a passion for "combining old and new" {CIJ International}, and a visionary eye for exquisite pairings of gemstones and lightweight metals and wood, Mr. Chin has forged a place among the 21st century's prestigious Art Jewelers. Not one to depart too far from his roots, Mr. Chin continues to fashion his exclusive pieces with the patience of a collector. "If you want the best, you have to wait," Mr. Chin told a CIJ reporter, after displaying a case of ten green diamonds the designer had been collecting for five years. When the collection is complete, they will be transformed into an Etcetera bracelet. It is this brand of patience, combined with excellence in design and practice, that makes Mr. Chin one to watch on the auction market for years to come.

*More About Photo: This stunning ruby and diamond cocktail ring features a round brilliant cut diamond bezel set to each side of the domed face of the ring. The brilliant cut diamonds are accented with round and cushion cut rubies as well as Old European cut diamonds, all pavé set into bands across the top.