Evolution of Butterfly

Each year, since 2008, a new and original bejewelled butterfly flutters into jewellery artist Cindy Chao's creation and soars in the jewellery world. Symbols of the soul, femininity and metamorphosis, butterflies are a reflection of Cindy's own journey: her metamorphosis into a jewellery artist.

Only one butterfly is created each year, and each takes more than 18 months to complete as Chao sets herself fresh challenges with both the design and exploring innovative and challenging techniques for the settings. In 2010, the Royal Butterfly Masterpiece was inducted by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., for its unique usage of gemstones into the intricate asymmetric design showcasing major advance in jewellery craftsmanship.

Cindy Chao

Cindy Chao's winged masterpiece symbolises the metamorphosis she has undergone from jewellery designer to jewellery artist. They also see the elevation of her brand value, and become highly anticipated and sought after by global collectors. In 2012, her Transcendence Butterfly soars in Christie's Geneva auction, fetching nearly five times the initial estimation. The following 2013/2014 Ballerina Butterfly, created in celebration of the friendship between Cindy and Sarah Jessica Parker, world-renowned actress and philanthropist, in aid of the New York City Ballet. The brooch raised US$1.2 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong for the ballet company's educational program; the co-creators graced the cover of the Sotheby's magazine and were honoured as co-chairs of the New York City Ballet Fall Opening Gala.

This September, Chao leads her eponymous high jewellery brand CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel of twelve years to debut during the 28th Biennale des Antiquaires, taking place from September 10th to 18th in the Grand Palais in Paris. The Biennale debut signifies the brand's swift rise to global recognition; it also marks the first worldwide unveil of Chao's masterful pieces to the public. Amongst the twelve sets of one-of-a-kind Black Label Masterpieces the brand exhibits the latest member of the brand's iconic butterflies will be revealed.

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2016 Black Label Masterpiece No. XV – Bowtie Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2016 Black Label Masterpiece No.XVI – Phoenix Feather Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2016 Black Label Masterpiece No. IX – Winter Leaves Necklace

The 2015/16 Ruby Butterfly, a creation that spans across two years, is the first Butterfly to be collected while it was still on sketch. It is also the first butterfly to be commissioned, by Mr. Pierre Chen, one of the leading and the most influential collectors of Western contemporary art, and one of the world’s top collectors of works by Francis Bacon, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Peter Doig and Thomas Struth. He also serves on the International Council of the Tate in London, and has supported the Taipei Biennale and funds an Asia Cultural Council residency in New York. An avid art connoisseur, Mr. Chen’s vast collection consists of paintings, sculptures, architecture and jewellery.

2015-2016 Black Label Masterpiece No. 1 – Ruby Butterfly Brooch

The story of the 2015/2016 Butterfly began when a 5.16-carat Burmese non-heat pigeon's blood ruby was presented to Chao back in 2014. Inspired by the ruby's distinguished color and fire, Chao creates her next Butterfly taking the form of Blood Red Glider (Cymothoe sangaris), a unique blood red butterfly native of Central African rain forest, and a high flyer often soaring at altitudes of approximately 100-700m. They are also known to spend much of their day basking in sunspots closer to the forest floor.

The passion for art is from the heart. It is important to see the art with your own eyes

Upon being presented a sketch of a three-dimensional scope, Mr. Chen granted Chao her creative freedom to realize her vision. But it was during its wax sculpting process, the Butterfly's form truly took place. The essence of the design is the undulating and curvy layers of the wings, where parts are smoothly articulated and fused into an organic unity. The carefully constructed top layers of rose-cut diamonds offer a translucent effect seeing through to the ruby-drifted layers underneath, and produce a near-kaleidoscopic sight in various light and space. Chao approaches the art jewel a miniature piece sculptural object, a spatial container, a space with light and air. Gemstones are placed on her sculpted wax model, and their positions carefully calculated and structured.  The completed model is then sent to the French atelier for metal work and gem setting, the most meticulous process of making an art jewel.

Using only rubies and diamonds on the art jewel, Chao envisions they are the only prominent colors to be noticed on the Butterfly. Therefore she purposefully chooses oxidized silver as the base metal for its darkened, vintage-like subtlety. Fine jewellery level gem setting on silver has several challenges – the softness of the metal being a major one. The metal base must be handled in a delicate manner as to not to damage the metal and the gemstones during setting. From wax to silver, just refining the metal alone would take up to 3 months time. An unconventional melding of gold and silver is adapted and beautifully lined to support the structure, and miniscule screws (as small as 1 mm) are handcrafted to integrate parts of asymmetrical wing into a seamless objet d'art. Even in France, there are only a handful of master craftsmen who still obtain such skills passed down from generation to generation. 

During the two years’ time the Butterfly is in the making, Chao visits the atelier once a month to check up on its progress to ensure the craftsmanship and aesthetics remains true to her vision. Nevertheless, parts of the Butterfly are still remade three times starting from wax sculpture due to Chao's high demand on the complex layers of this dramatic and intricately structured brooch. The glorious result of more than 10,000 hours of fastidious hard works, is a fierce Butterfly Brooch that, viewed from every angle and aspect, radiates with a total of 2560 pieces, 118 carats of diamonds and rubies accentuating the centre ruby. (Diamonds 1070 pieces/72.04 carat; rubies 1490 pieces/45.9 carat)

For an international art collector such as Mr. Chen, the twenty-four months suspension is a worthwhile journey waiting for an artwork ingeniously fabricated in both creative and craftsmanship perfection. “Cindy as an artist and myself as a collector are both striving for he exquisite beauty and craft of the final artwork, and the Butterfly is a testament to our conviction. I can feel the internal strength and emotion within this piece. I’m truly happy with it.” Mr. Chen regularly lends art to museums internationally. In 2014, 76 works from Mr. Chen’s collection were exhibited by four leading museums in Japan. So when Chao requests loaning the Butterfly to be revealed at her Biennale des Antiquaires debut, Mr. Chen agrees immediately. “The passion for art is from the heart. It is important to see the art with your own eyes. I’m glad to share this CINDY CHAO Butterfly with the world.” With the long line-up for Chao’s Annual Butterfly all the way up until year 2020, Biennale may indeed by the rare chance one could appreciate the beauty of these masterful Butterflies.

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2008 Ruby Butterfly Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2009 Royal Butterfly Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2010 Crimson Rose Butterfly Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2011 Perfection Butterfly Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2012 Trancendence Butterfly Brooch

CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel. 2013-14 Bellarina Butterfly Brooch

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