Jewelry making is completely an ingenious art profession. It’s no wonder that those interested in making it as their full-time career have to go extremely deep in their thoughts in order to come up with exceptional ideas for designing scintillating pieces of jewelry which, for the most part, are tailored towards women consumers obsessed with pampering their desires for expensive taste, thereby easily establishing that they’re the masters of their own craft. So jewelry designers who are celebrated tremendously today for designing one-of-a-kind jewels have, in fact, been able to achieve this stupendous feat by developing emblematic nuances of their own first and foremost.
Thanks to this distinctively creative spark, we see them instilling life into what is otherwise considered inanimate objects and ultimately turning them into the center of attention with divine meaning hidden underneath as part of making a style statement; most sophisticated and beautiful women have the highest degree of penchant for across the globe. In short, wearing jewelry pieces of superior quality for women is a wholly individualistic way on their end to emphasize the need they feel strongly to experience the so-called “inner joie de vivre”.
This is where the intriguing jewelry designed by a renowned Hong-based fine jewelry designer Austy Lee comes into play and in doing so the much-desired expectations of women who are desperately looking for transformative pieces of jewelry are genuinely fulfilled. More so, Austy’s persona really syncs well with each jewelry item he gives shape to, making him the maverick of his own bold craft which is what tends to raise his profile as a game changer. In other words, his creations are aesthetically powerful enough to win over the psyche of jewelry connoisseurs whose search for new yet enchanting unconventional designs is a big plus point for the entire jewelry industry.
As Austy’s jewelry-making skills become widely known across the board in the industry for jewelry enthusiasts to discover as well as enjoy profoundly, there is no doubt as to what’s seemingly palpable that he is almost close to being admired around the clock as a true dazzler for years to come. After all, his creations are opulently ornamented with gold, diamonds, and various types of precious gemstones but most importantly Chinese jade like no other.
In essence, Austy’s jewelry novelties make him an artisan of supreme stature. And for good reasons by and large! After all, the jewelry industry is counting on him today to pioneer a trend of extreme unconventionalism in terms of creating extravagant jewels with refreshing parameters. Needless to say, his jewelry pieces are an ultimate combination of wondrous craftsmanship and fashion-forward designs entwined with striking themes which are more often than not bound to have struck a chord with women known for their bold taste in life.
Carving out a niche for himself with his eccentric jewelry designs
However, before making a foray into the glam-oriented world of jewelry, Austy used to be a graphic designer and illustrator in his early days dating back to 2003 when he actually started working as such for a local magazine. And it wasn’t too long before he found his true calling in jewelry making as an ultimate means to show his inner creativity with a magical touch. “Since my childhood, I’ve always been fascinated by the allure of gemstones and the irresistible idea of wearing jewelry in infinite ways. As far as I can remember, I would always spend a lot of money on a treasure hunt for gemstones that particularly appealed to me. But initially, it wasn’t in the cards for me to become a jewelry designer. I didn’t see it that way at all,” he said.
At an intuitive level, what Austy was most interested in was the glitzy world of fashion since he was very keen to become a fashion designer originally. However, things were very competitive while he was pursuing education. As he recalled saying, “Looking at the highly cut-throat culture that plagued fashion design courses back then, I changed my mind and started to shift my focus to the elements of jewelry design which were no less complex with the highest degree of creativity involved.”
However, he made sure from the very start that it was a steady process as part of his learning curve so as to manifest elegantly before the elites of East and West that he really has something crucial at hand to tell with his sculpturally opulent wearable jewelry pieces which sit well with the framework of avant-garde design philosophy. Needless to say, bursting with newfound enthusiasm to learn more about design practices, he didn’t think too much about moving on with his decision to receive a diploma degree in product design. Soon afterward, Lee’s escalating interest in jewelry led him to take important lessons about bone teeth, jade carvings, and restoring artifacts, and antiques from his uncle already known for his high artisanship in this particular segment.
“I just went for it without a second thought, giving myself a chance to familiarize myself with gemstone settings, metal-hand chiseling, and various other techniques that are considered very fundamental to the intricately grand art of jewelry making. I learned all of it while working as an intern for jewelry design at the Universal Jewelry Design Center Limited,” Austy said. “That’s how I’ve gained a sort of specialized know-how when it comes to lending a unique top-notch touch to my jewelry creations in different vibrant forms.”
Being so adept at drawing and design techniques did wonders for him when he was offered an opportunity to work as a jewelry designer trainee with the Swiss jeweler Adler in Hong Kong. More or less, what he managed to learn by working alongside Adler proved to be immensely invaluable for him. “The entire experience that I had gained from there helped me to look at myself as a complete fine jewelry designer as well as a professional gemstone buyer. This way, I was able to give my best shot while working with high-end clients and to design high jewelry pieces adorned with rare gemstones and materials for them,” he said.
As things progressed, he kept getting fabulous opportunities along the way to show his talent. Not surprisingly, as part of this steady evolution, he found himself at the right place at the right time when he was given the post of chief designer and to work in this role for Wendy Yue, a renowned name in the industry.
And at last with more than enough experience under his belt, it was just a matter of time before he had his own eponymous brand which he finally launched in 2017 in order to make his own version of high jewelry collections that have actually taken the jewelry world by storm.
Things that make AUSTY LEE different from others
Creating a brand that’s way too different from others in business but one with a huge interest in wooing jewelry buyers convincingly is by and large a challenging task. Why so? It’s a well-established fact that jewelry pieces comprising several strands of newness or innovative push in their overall design ultimately go on to appeal to the senses of jewelry enthusiasts and connoisseurs. And Austy’s playful, edgy, and otherworldly jewelry designs are proof that creativity in its originality always manages to get its admirers in the form of buyers wherever they’re.
Looking at the subtle criteria followed by Austy while working on his jewelry pieces, there is no denying whatsoever that his way of doing things is like no other. “For me, what counts most is to make sure that I do what other people don’t usually think of doing in the first place. I simply love to create things that people desire to see but usually miss in general. This is where the designs, the techniques, and the indispensable role of craftsmanship as fully evident in my jewelry creations do have quite a distinctive identity to challenge the best of the best in the industry,” Austy said.
At the core of Austy’s bizarre designs in jewelry is his own powerful motto of “When Jewelry is Psychedelic Art” which he holds dear to his heart, thus letting him create jewelry pieces that genuinely embody the spirit of an avant-garde lifestyle. “I want my jewelry to look as mesmerizing and hypnotizing as possible while using 18k solid gold and a variety of precious and semi-precious gemstones by adding on different color-plating and inlay techniques, at last creating one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces which one has hardly or never seen before,” he said.
Leaning on his sharp, intrinsic knowledge and applying it exquisitely to how jade jewelry can also be made more fashionable, Austy has become a highly respected name in the industry. According to him, jewelry made of jade has always enjoyed a special place in Chinese culture. In fact, jade is considered very auspicious by Chinese people as it has several qualitative elements like beauty, grace, and purity but most importantly a unique power to protect oneself against certain ills. All in all, it’s a heavenly gemstone that Asian countries have never lost their love for. But historically it’s been on the sidelines in different cultures for centuries.
As Austy further elaborated, “If we talk about jade or jade jewelry, it has always been associated with the mode of old fashion, so lacking variety. As a Hong Kong designer, I’ve tried to break free from that old thought and dedicated myself to the cause of popularizing the spectacle of Eastern legacy by giving it a contemporary edge. What I’ve done is try to merge jade with different elements and colorful forms extensively so as to give a whole new spin to the gemstone and at the same time demonstrate how it can be maneuvered to look fashionable as well as admired by a broader clientele. With this in mind in recent years, I’ve only been incorporating the elements of Japanese antiques such as Menuki and Lacquerware into my jewelry designs. And the outcome resulting from it has proved to be a very successful one with my customers wholeheartedly welcoming this phenomenon of grand juxtaposition. This all comes down to the impeccable beauty and meticulous workmanship of Japanese arts the art fraternity is in awe of.”
While Austy has given us jewelry enthusiasts a new dimension to look at the marvels of jade with, he has a deep personal connection with it too, making the discussion around jade even more interesting.
“When I was a child, I was constantly surrounded by the beauty of traditional Chinese culture. So growing up amid this rejuvenating atmosphere was the best thing that ever happened to me and it left an indelible mark on my love of jade as a much revered gemstone belonging to this part of the world. And it was no surprise that my mother gave me a jade peace buckle necklace for the sake of my protection and blessing,” he said.
Besides, another good thing that Austy was proactively part of while growing up was that his parents would often take him to a Chinese Art & Craft store selling Fei Cui and other types of gemstones like agate, quartz, nephrite, etc. “That’s how my fascination with jade and special gemstones began to grow. I’m particularly into carved jades like dragons, phoenixes, and some jade pieces used during the course of ritual activities, as these have different forms, patterns, meanings, and complexities. And I would love to preserve these Chinese values just through modifying and incorporating them into my jewelry pieces on a regular basis,” he added.
His other favorite gemstones are blue tourmalines (also known as indicolites) and emeralds which, he admits, are very mythical. “Indicolite color is believed to possess a deep meaning in Tibetan Buddhism while the universe of emeralds can be traced back to Egyptian and Jewish mythologies,” he said. “In addition, I like to use ceramic, enamel, mother-of-pearl, abalone shells, and various other carved/engraved materials such as sphene, Paraiba, padparadscha sapphires, star sapphires, and pink diamonds in my jewelry pieces as I see fit. However, what I do can’t be complete without mentioning the absolutely marvelous history of Indian jewelry my designs are also heavily influenced by.”
Colors are a big narrative of his designs
The more colorful an object is, the better it will look from all angles. And it’s very true when talking about the glittering world of jewels. Austy himself sticks to the vision of making his jewelry as colorful as it can get. As he explained, “The depth of color palette is one of the major areas of focus for me to get it right while designing my extraordinary jewelry pieces. I’ve always wanted people to feel that “This is Austy Lee’s creation” when they see a jewelry piece of mine. Therefore, the color palette is very important to me because it represents my personality in the jewelry. My first collection right after I launched my brand was “The Psychedelic Light”. The collection was specifically designed using bold and hypnotic color patterns that matched well with the requisites of my branding. Now I always hear my customers saying things like “This is so Austy” and that’s simply a big accomplishment for me. I believe it’s something to take pride in.”
To put it another way, because of his cult jewelry designs, he has been able to get Hollywood and international celebrities including famous people from across the globe wear them. With a worldwide following, his jewelry pieces are highly sought-after and can be seen in some of the world’s most exclusive boutiques and department stores in Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, London, Paris, Germany, Switzerland, Milan, Greece, Dubai, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
He uses his inspirations as magic
Going by his enigmatic designs, there is no denying whatsoever that he often finds himself motivated by a myriad of cultural and religious facets of life as well as the natural creations he is surrounded by. “I love reading books related to such topics and I used to teach jewelry design and culture at Hong Kong Baptist University as a part-time lecturer. So by incorporating the elements of culture in my designs what I’ve intended to do is to emphasize the essence of magical storytelling around my art pieces and eventually make them even more special and meaningful,” Austy said.
He is a devout follower of Tibetan Buddhism in his daily life. Its Thangkas and Mandalas are the main inspirations for the psychedelic patterns clearly visible in his designs. The use of different colors and patterns in his jewelry is very similar to those often seen in Thangkas and Mandalas.
“In my designs, you may occasionally see plants and creatures like orchids, butterflies, and sometimes mythical creatures. This is due to my overwhelming interest in nature and myths, especially orchids and ancient Greek mythology. I would love to reveal their beauty in the form of jewelry, thus becoming one of the eternal pieces ever designed by me,” he said.
Why Asian jewelry designs are considered so endearing
The Asian continent is undoubtedly the bedrock of magnificent jewelry dating back to thousands of years. And the designs emanating from the minds of those creative designers belonging to this part of the world are always in high demand universally. As Austy put it this way, “There is no doubt that Asia’s cultural and spending influence on the global luxury market is quite significant today and I believe it will remain in a strong position in years to come. Asian jewelry designs contain unique East-meets-West aesthetics which are very appealing to a global audience. Jewelry pieces having the elements of jade are generally found to be very popular among customers.”
Talking about his customer base, Austy said, “I have a very wide range of customers, not just women but also male customers. They like my designs mostly, and jewels that they aren’t able to find anywhere else. The forms, the techniques, and the gemstones I use in my pieces are very unique and eye-catching.”
For Austy, making jewelry is something he loves to do. It’s fun for him and so he simply loves to delve into creating fun pieces. “It’s like connecting the dots of my daily life, my way of seeing things, or my cultural beliefs and putting all of them into these timeless art pieces of jewelry,” he said.
His rising influence in the industry is closely linked to what lies behind his brand name “aUSTY LEE”. According to him, the letter ‘a’ is a Greek small letter implying that the brand has the utmost value which he treasures a lot. “The letter ‘A’ extends to the creation of my brand logo in a triangle. After all, triangles are believed to be the strongest geometric shape. It also represents perfection in an idyllic way. It’s very much similar to the goals I had when launching my brand — aimed at only creating flawless timeless pieces using precious gemstones,” he said.
Another priority that’s very close to his heart is to make sure his jewelry pieces can be afforded by every family. “I always keep this holy thought in mind while working on my designs since what could be more rewarding than bringing smiles to thousands of families around the world with your art jewelry pieces being passed through generations,” Austy said.
It can only be summed up by saying that there is so much to look forward to as Austy embarks on unexpected journeys to create many contemporary jewelry pieces that we can’t help but savor intensely for good.