Cindy Chao @ One-Of-A-Kind Piece For Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s 40th Anniversary Auction

Sotheby’s Hong Kong celebrates this monumental anniversary with the Autumn auction that broke over ten sales records in contemporary art.The highlight of the evening included the sales of a 8.03-carat “Pigeon’s Blood” Burmese Ruby ring designed by renowned jewellery artist Cindy Chao during the Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale. Following fierce bidding between renowned collectors, the ring was sold for $USD 3.84 Million (HKD 29.8 Million). The sale of this ring sets precedence and a record price for the most expensive contemporary art jewellery piece ever sold in Asia. Sotheby’s invited Chao to design this 8.03 carat cushion cut, unheated Burmese “Pegion’s Blood” ruby ring. This ring is the 19th piece from Chao’s 2013 Black Label collection.The near-flawless “Pegion’s Blood” Burmese ruby sparks with an intense hue of rouge. The unheated gem is truly a rarity and is a precious gift from Mother Nature.

Chao was immensely inspired when she first saw this incredible “Pigeon’s Blood” Burmese ruby. She felt this gem was full of energy and “a gift from above”. With the thought of “gift” in mind, Chao hence wanted to wrap this precious present in a beautiful bed of diamond ribbons. This ring employs the 360 degrees setting technique, using over 700 diamonds to highlight the rich crimson of the ruby. The flowing silhouette of the ribbon was achieved using the wax molding technique, which allows the designer to recreate the fluttering movement of feather-light ribbons using gold and diamonds. Created as CINDY CHAO 2013 Black Label Masterpiece No. 19, this ring is truly a flawless expression of art and craftsmanship. The auction in the afternoon of October 7 attracted a number of renowned collectors from around the world, many of whom joined in on the intense bidding at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition as well as via telephone, and the Internet. Eager buyers fueled the bidding, and the 8.03-carat “Pigeon’s Blood” ruby ring was eventually sold for $USD 3.84 Million (HKD 29.8 Million), setting a new record for Asian

contemporary art jewellery.