Creating invaluable jewelry pieces is akin to building a palatial fortress which, in turn, tends to shed light on how high status individuals in our society live life. To a lot of people it might sound like a fairytale. Well, it’s not.

It happens in real life if you give yourself pause and chew on this. As one jewelry designer after another keeps designing such fine costume jewelry, there is no shortage of the elite ready to splurge millions in order to acquire that shiny stuff.

Who understands it better than a world renowned Hong Kong-based haute couture jewelry designer Wendy Yue! She knows it’s a persuasive business to be in but she can’t rule out the fact that it ultimately comes down to your genuine creative vibes when designing. And her glaring work especially interpreting flowers in various scintillating forms speaks for itself. After all, she is the sole person in the world today credited with doing this type of magic.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sit down with her to find out how she went on to bring to life a brand of such sheer magnificence.

Yue’s obsession with colors is was what made her fall in love with jewelry. She found the phenomenon of having so many natural minerals with such a kaleidoscope of colors quite mind-blowing, prompting her to start designing jewelry. Strangely though, it all ensued thanks to one of her friends working for a jewelry company at the time when she geared up to start her line of work. “It’s the one and only form of art that translates my wild imaginations the way I anticipate. I love color and I love nature. I love gemstones for its huge variety of colors that always comes across as eye candy, the way each can be cut to reflect different colors and forms, and how a piece can be soldered and sculpted into one beautiful artwork. I’m just so passionate about creating jewelry,” she says.

There is a sense of greater fulfillment if one makes an effort to achieve something on his or her own. That’s why she never ever felt an urge to go to a fashion school to learn the craft. “I believe you learn more with experience. Through my time working in different roles from a jewelry salesperson to designer and later as a manufacturer, I gained so much hands-on knowledge about every detail that’s quintessential to jewelry making,” Yue says.

Just looking at the designs, one is automatically transported to a world where nothing but the idea of harmony seems to be the overriding motto. Notably, that’s the reason why people become overly excited to see her sublime jewelry anytime as she explains, “I think that the fact that it’s so bold and happy is where the answer lies. Who doesn’t want a fun and happy jewel! I don’t take my jewelry extremely seriously; it’s similar to my life philosophy. I feel that it’s so instinctive, primitive, organic yet exquisite— what a lovely combination to have the most fun with it.”

Yue doesn’t have to put too much strain on her brain to look for waves of inspirations. Rather it comes easily to her. “I get inspired by nature, my personal life experiences and travels, ancient mythology, and my Chinese heritage,” she says. “I just love to let my imagination flow free. Since I was a child I’ve been running in the wild even in the old Hong Kong. Did I tell you I’m the year of the Monkey? That’s why I’ve been in the wild for so long with all these natural things in mind.”

For the stones that she uses in her jewelry she sources each one of them from faraway places she travels to, or people she comes across and the various trade shows she routinely attends.

Though she doesn’t shy away from visualizing a woman’s figure which she thinks comes naturally because she is a woman herself, it hardly concerns her with regard to design parameters. “I believe comfort is what I really aim for.”

Besides, Yue’s creations are all about confidence which is what women look for in their jewelry. “My designed wonders are for a woman who is very passionate about bold designs and someone who already has everything but still craves for something very special,” she says, adding that she doesn’t back the idea of celebrities showing off her jewelry. She just loves to create for everyone who loves jewelry like mad.”

In the middle of our conversation, a question about her design mantra arose out of nowhere. To which, she replies coolly, “The key is to dare to be bold, dare to design something that you love.”

With the fashion industry thriving on a massive scale as well as experiencing one of the cherry on the cake moments in the Middle East, one interesting phenomenon to be noticed is how every big fashion brand is eager to chip in and set up their base in the region and give customers what they are looking for. It’s no wonder the region is very important for Yue to keep investing in. “One can clearly see that women here go hunting for extravagant pieces of jewelry. I believe it really shines through their regular look, and is without doubt the perfect complement to their skin tone and figure,” she says.

The other mesmerizing aspect of life in this part of the world that often intrigues Yue is concerning women’s taste in jewelry. “I think there are two extremities … they can go from very conservative to very extravagant. You can never tell, and that’s what I love about this huge diversity,” she feels.

Being part of this regal culture by all accounts, she still loves to keep her personal style statement simple and comfortable while carrying it effortlessly with a piece of jewelry that gives her overall look a BANG effect! Likewise, Yue’s latest collection really fulfills that desirable emotion of a woman. “The collection evolves into smaller scale pieces. So you will get to see more opals,” she says.

Yue doesn’t believe in making plans for her brand. Rather, she likes to go with the flow or as things happen. While not designing, she spends her time working vigorously on interior design and home remodeling. What an amazing feat!

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