Description

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Spectacular colored gems and expressive forms redefine high jewelry in an inspiring blend of East and West. 

Jeweler Michelle Ong’s multi-hued creations crystallize natural forms with invisible mastery. The hovering translucency of dragonfly wings, the succulence of ripe fruits, and the whisper-light touch of a feather: each jewel is a miniature sculptural work of art.

Michelle Ong established Carnet, her Hong Kong-based boutique jewelry house, over 25 years ago, and her unique one-off creations draw on Chinese motifs and her love of European culture and craftsmanship. She transforms jade, China’s imperial gemstone, into an Art Deco-style cocktail ring and her Chinese dragon, a fierce, yet benign creature, writhes in blackened gold and pave´-set emeralds, breathing a stream of fiery rubies.

Michelle Ong’s work is acknowledged to be among the greatest in high jewelry, renowned for its sublime designs, idiosyncratic color combinations and deft craftsmanship. This volume will be required reading for serious collectors and aficionados, and a source of deep delight for all those seeking inspiration from the finest of contemporary jewelry creators. 

About the Author

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Vivienne Becker is the author of Antique and Twentieth-century Jewenry and Fabulous Fakes, a history of costume jewelry. She lectures on jewelry in Britain and the US.

Joel Rosenthal (JAR) is a world-renowned jeweler. He lives and works in Paris.

Praise For…

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For the first time the Hong Kong-based jeweler Michelle Ong has encapsulated her career since she started the Carnet label in 1998 in a book… The 272-page volume took two years to produce, partly because she had to borrow most of the pieces from clients to have them photographed.
— The New York Times