By Jewel Snob Tina

February 1, 2012

Cindy Chao White Label Collection available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman.

Cindy Chao is making a rare appearance in Dallas this week at a very exclusive showing of her museum-quality jewels, which fall into two exhilarating categories. Black Label is pure haute couture: one-of-a-kind pieces (like the Butterfly brooch in the Smithsonian Museum‘s permanent collection) that literally take your breath away. The White Label has nearly just as much impact, but it’s more accessible and designed for everyday wear (sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman).

An artist in the truest sense of the word, each of her creations is hand-sketched and hand-sculpted by Cindy herself. She grew up at the foot of her father’s table (he was a famous sculptor in Asia), shaping leftover bits and pieces of wax mold he would hand to her. Now she tells me the only time she is truly content and at peace is when she is alone in her studio, sculpting.

Each stone that goes into these jewels has to pass through the eyes and hands of seven craftspeople before Cindy’s final approval! A pair of earrings, like my ivy hoops, can take up to two years to make if the perfectly colored diamonds are not available! But like any rare treasure, Cindy Chao jewels are worth the wait.