Full Timeline
2004
The beginning. CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel emerges with a private showroom and design studio in Taipei.
2007
The rising star takes New York: Cindy Chao makes her international debut at Christie’s New York, showcasing her Winter Branch Necklace and Bangle – the very first pieces of her signature Four Seasons collection. The winter-themed set was auctioned and fetched nearly three times the estimated price.
2009
The inaugural collaboration: CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel and De Beers Forevermark, the diamantaire, create the Majestic Beauty Fan. Set with 2,399 diamonds and weighing 310.27 carats, the piece is displayed at museums worldwide, reshaping the perception of what defines high jewellery.
2010
The 2009 Black Label Masterpiece No. I Royal Butterfly is inducted into the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D. C., the United States – a symbol of Cindy Chao’s transition from jewellery designer to jewellery artist.
2011
Sold at three times its estimate, the 2010 Black Label Masterpiece VIII The Solstice Cuff is the crown jewel of Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction. Enchanting with its 7.02-carat Fancy Light Yellow diamond centre, it was awarded fine jewellery’s Best of the Best by the Robb Report.
2012
A royal seal of approval. The Majestic Beauty Fan, created in collaboration with De Beers Forevermark, takes centre stage in a capsule exhibition of diamond masterpieces – a curation celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee at the Masterpiece London Art Fair.
The 2012 Black Label Masterpiece I Transcendence Butterfly – the first Annual Butterfly using titanium as its metal base – is auctioned at Christie’s in Geneva, garnering over four times its estimate.
2013
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Sotheby’s Hong Kong collaborates with Cindy Chao to create the 2013 Black Label Masterpiece XIX – an 8.03-carat Pigeon’s Blood Burmese Ruby Ribbon Ring. Its $3.84 million value sets a new record for an Asian contemporary art jewel.
2014
Inspired by a shared passion for ballet and the butterflies that decorate the Opéra National de Paris, Cindy Chao collaborates with actor and philanthropist Sarah Jessica Parker to create the 2014 Black Label Masterpiece I Ballerina Butterfly Brooch. Auctioned at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the proceeds were donated to the New York City Ballet.
2015
The debut of a new private showroom in Hong Kong marks CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel’s new headquarters. A rich journey through the artist’s most precious commemorative works of art, the space reflects Cindy’s unique aesthetic perspective, meticulous attention to detail and exquisite craftsmanship – the perfect permanent home for her Black Label Masterpieces.
2016
A rise to global recognition: CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel is invited to participate in the 28th Paris Biennale des Antiquaires, where the 2016 Black Label Masterpieces are revealed.
2017
Cindy Chao is titled Iconic Hong Kong Jewellery Designer at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction. Here she presents two Black Label Masterpieces for the first time – the Phoenix Feather Brooch and Colombian Emerald Snowpeas Earrings – which are sold for approximately $2.06 million, almost twice the initial estimation.
Expanding the world of Cindy Chao to a new, larger space to welcome its celebrated collectors, the brand opens an exclusive private showroom in Taipei – the new cultural epicentre of the creative industry.
2018
London called. CINDY CHAO first shows at Masterpiece London Art Fair with the artist’s Black Label Masterpieces. The 2018 Black Label Masterpiece XVIII Peony Brooch was awarded Outstanding Exhibit by the awards committee.
2019
The 2016 Black Label Masterpiece XI Winter Leaves Necklace wins the Masterpiece London Highlight Award, selected for being the best jewellery piece of the fair.
Showcasing its works of art on a Tree of Life, a symbol of the artist’s unique family legacy, CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel presents its 2019 Black Label Masterpieces at TEFAF Maastricht in the Netherlands.
2020
The doors to China open: CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel opens its Shanghai maison, an invitation-only by-appointment space that signals a powerful arrival in the respected market. Imagined by Dutch architect Tom Postma and French-Swedish sculptor Ingrid Donat with hand-carved detailing and art installations, the rooms are inspired by Cindy’s own abode.
Later the same year, the 2008 Black Label Masterpiece I Ruby Butterfly Brooch is honoured with an induction into Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Cindy Chao’s first Annual Butterfly, it’s a distinction that not only highlights its aesthetic and technical brilliance, but also signifies the institution’s recognition of the artistic value in Chao’s early works.
2021 (contd.)
In the acclaimed William and Judith Bollinger Gallery of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the 2018 Black Label Masterpiece XVIII Peony Brooch is showcased – the third to feature in a major museum.
2021
An honourable title is bestowed in Paris, where Cindy Chao is appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
‘An exceptional artist-jeweller, you keep pushing the limits of your art. At the crossroads between goldsmith, sculpture and architecture – for the exceptional quality of your works and for your contribution to the life and transmission of the jewellery savoir-faire of our country – we make you a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Art et des Lettres.’ – Ms Roselyne Bachelot, Culture Minister of France
A fusion of East and West, CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel holds its first independent exhibition in Shanghai titled The Endless Realm.
2022
Cindy Chao takes to the road alongside other celebrated artists, with her latest creations presented within her Moveable Museum exhibition at Masterpiece London Art Fair.
CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel opens its first public gallery in the heart of Taipei, showcasing the artist’s latest art jewellery masterpieces in an intimate and museum-like setting.
2023
To celebrate the birth of the 10th Annual Butterfly, the 2023 Black Label Masterpiece I Amour Butterfly, Cindy Chao curated an exhibition titled, Meld in Light and Shade: CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel 2023 Annual Butterfly Exhibition, which took place in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. Through this single object, Chao created a journey, leading visitors into her creative universe.
2024
Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris invited Cindy Chao to teach and share her expertise in traditional French jewellery wax sculpting techniques and her distinctive creative vision with students. Under her guidance, these young talents collaboratively crafted a scaled wax sculpture, exhibited in February at the Louvre Museum. Chao becomes the first Asian jewellery artist to teach at the prestigious institution in its 160 years history.
