Made in China, part 1: meet 7 jewelry designers that caught my eye at Romanian Jewelry Week 2025

I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese culture and the stories the people could tell through a single ideogram or the impeccable style of fashion & accessorize. Therefore, I was more than happy that I saw this year, at Romanian Jewelry Week 2025, a lot of Chinese jewelry artists are here to present us their latest creations. And yes, there a lot – this is just PART 1 of Chinese Jewelery Designers – scroll here for the Part 2. Meet 7 jewelry designers that caught my eye. 

From October 1–5, 2025, Bucharest will host the sixth edition of Romanian Jewelry Week, the most important contemporary jewelry event in Romania. The full program will soon be available on www.romanianjewelryweek.com.  (Read here about ROJW 2024)
Romanian Jewelry Week 2025 – National Library of Romania – October 1–5, 2025. October 1–3 – free entry. October 4–5 – tickets available via www.iabilet.ro. 

1. Designer: Anna Liu. Collection: Mountain Identity: Reminder for Existence – @annaliu_art_jewelry

The main message of your collection is… “Mountain Identity” is about roots, memory, and belonging. Inspired by the mountainous landscapes of my hometown in Sichuan, China, the collection transforms personal memories and emotions into jewelry that serves as a reminder of who we are and where we come from. Each piece reflects the enduring strength and warmth of those formative experiences, creating objects that are not just adornments, but emotional vessels connecting the wearer to their own stories.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… I see jewelry as a powerful, intimate way to tell stories. Unlike other fashion items, jewelry is worn close to the body and becomes a personal companion, capturing emotions and memories. It allows me to create tangible, wearable expressions of identity and connection that resonate with both myself and the people who wear it.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… The perfect jewelry is one that feels personal yet universal, carrying emotional depth and sculptural beauty. I imagine wearing it in Chengdu, China, where tradition meets modern life, or Prague, a city full of history and quiet poetry. The music that goes with it would be a blend of traditional Chinese instruments and modern electronic sounds, creating a dialogue between heritage and contemporary rhythm.

2. Designer: Wanyan Wu. Collection: Gummy Bear Brooches – @wanyan_wu_jewellery

The main message of your collection is… The gummy bear serves as the central visual motif of my collection. Nine enamel gummy bears in different colors are set within silver containers, which can be opened and closed. This work is intended to create a spatial concept: certain childhood memories, such as candy, are shared among our generation. Through this series, I aim to immerse viewers in a world reminiscent of a candy shop or candy house. The colors and symbolism of the gummy bears are meant to evoke nostalgia and a sense of well-being, allowing viewers to reconnect with their own childhood memories.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… For me, jewelry functions as a container of stories and a mnemonic device. Unlike clothing, which immediately communicates personality at a glance, jewelry offers a subtle, concealed form of expression. Its meanings and personal stories are revealed only through careful observation, making it a unique medium for narrative and identity.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… I feel the gummy bear brooch is most fitting in Bonn, Germany – the birthplace of Haribo gummy bears. I am grateful to Bonn for giving rise to Hans Riegel, whose creation filled my childhood with joy. If possible, I would pair the piece with Joe Hisaishi’s 《海の見える街》（Streets of the Sea） from Studio Ghibli films, which are deeply tied to my own childhood. My experience studying in the UK felt like living in Kiki’s Delivery Service: filled with curiosity, new experiences, and moments of uncertainty while navigating the world independently. The gummy bear brooch was created against this backdrop, combining personal nostalgia with universal symbols of happiness.

3. Designer: Fangjing Hu. Collection: Reverse Archaeology – @jing_jewellery / @hfangjing

The main message of your collection is… We stand in an age of uncertainty, stepping into a future with no map, no promise. My collection imagines a dystopian rebirth of humankind – a world where technology has collapsed and memory clings to fragments. Yet within this vision, I invite you to turn inward, to summon your own dawn, your own sunrise of hope.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… Jewelry, to me, is not ornament but sculpture in miniature – intimate architectures that turn the human body into a moving museum.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… A necklace, worn in Wuhan – my city of resilience – accompanied by Hearts Intuition by AURORA. For me, this union of jewel, place, and sound becomes a meditation on survival and imagination.

4. Designer: Jiayang (Jane) Xie. Collection: Fluid Architectures: Dialogues in Motion and Myth – @janexie0226

The main message of your collection is… I am presenting Kymatia and Babylon Tower. Together, they explore the tension between movement and monument, fragility and ambition. Kymatia transforms the rhythm of classical columns into flowing silver waves, where filigree becomes unchained and alive. Babylon Tower rises in delicate spirals, its openwork ascent both luminous and vulnerable – a reminder that beauty and hope endure even in collapse. The collection is a meditation on how structures breathe, dissolve, and transform, echoing the eternal dialogue between human aspiration and nature’s impermanence.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… I love the material itself, metal and precious stones are born from the earth; they are hard, resistant, not easy to work with – yet under the hand, they can be shaped into forms that outlive a person’s life. Jewelry fascinates me because it is so close to the body, yet not part of it. It can be detached and reattached, coexisting with us as an intimate extension of our inner self. Unlike clothing, which covers, jewelry shines like stars in the sky, minor points of light revealing something of the unseen personality within.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… The perfect jewelry is alive in its dialogue with the body and the city around it. I imagine Kymatia flowing through Athens at sunset, where marble and sea reflect each other, or Babylon Tower shimmering in Rome, its spirals echoing ancient ruins and timeless ambition. The music would be Secret Garden – its calmness, elegance, and strength carry the listener forward. It mirrors the spirit of my work, where tradition meets innovation, and where movement and stillness coexist in quiet grandeur.

5. Designer: Leah Chan. Collection: Beyond the Rice II – @im_leahchan

The main message of your collection is… My collection, “Beyond the Rice II”, explores the subtle yet profound connections between food, memory, and the human spirit. By using humble ingredients like rice and traditional Chinese herbs, I attempt to narrate stories of care, regret, cultural heritage, and personal identity. For instance, in “Lightness of Being” forgotten grains of rice become a metaphor for my own inertia and life’s regrets. In “Avalokiteśvara” food powders and 3D printing technology collaboratively reconstruct the traditional image of Guanyin, symbolizing a re-interpretation of faith and maternal love in the age of technology. In short, this series is an attempt to “anchor the weight of the soul onto the lightness of a grain”. 

You chose to focus on jewelry because… it is, to me, “wearable philosophy”.  Clothes envelop us, but jewelry lies close against our skin, next to our heartbeat. It is intimate and timeless – the perfect vessel for stories and emotions. Besides, you can’t really wear a bowl of herbal soup sent by your mother, can you? But I can transform this care, transmitted across time and space, into a piece of jewelry to be worn close to the body forever. Jewelry allows me to turn abstract emotions – like love, memory, or even a hint of regret—into tangible, wearable miniature sculptures.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… A piece that “tells a story without words”. It isn’t ostentatious, but reveals its meaning subtly, much like the “Lightness of Being” piece made from forgotten rice – ethereally light yet carrying the weight of a life lived. The city: Yunnan, China. There, my work can resonate deeply with the land, the light, and the region’s rich tapestry of cultures. Imagine wearing a piece made of grains and herbs under the pure sunlight of Shangri-La, outside the Songzanlin Monastery. It originates from the most mundane aspects of life yet exists in a spiritual realm close to the sky – this dialogue between the earthly and the sacred is precisely what I seek to create. Or in Dali, nestled between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, where a Bai ethnic elder walks through the fields with a basket on her back. The piece I wear contains the rice from her basket and the medicinal powders from my mother – it becomes a silent, cross-cultural and intergenerational conversation between women. My small creations are but a quiet response to this magnificent natural and cultural panorama. To wear it in Yunnan is like returning a grain of rice to the paddy field, or a whispered prayer to the valley. The music that goes with it: a fusion of Tibetan Buddhist chanting and ethereal ambient electronica. Think of the experimental soundscapes of an artist like Akira Rabelais melded with the deep, resonant hum of monastic prayers and horns from a distant temple – sacred, spacious, and touched with a sense of modern melancholy. It’s music for contemplation amidst vast, open landscapes.

6. Designer: Lei Qin. Collection: Aqua Waves – @qikeqilo (brand: Qike Qilo)

The main message of your collection is… “Aqua Waves” celebrates the serene, fluid beauty of water and the calm confidence it brings. Each piece translates ripples, tides, and reflections into wearable forms – crafted with recycled/18K-finish materials and non-toxic enamel – to express elegance with responsibility and make refined design accessible.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… Jewelry is intimate, personal, and timeless. After years in fashion editorial, I saw how a single piece can elevate everyday style—yet high prices often shut out younger voices. I started Qike Qilo to offer thoughtfully designed, nature-inspired pieces that are both responsible and attainable, so more women can make jewelry the soul of their look.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… the Tide Necklace – symbolizing the rise and fall of the sea, its enamel sheen feels like light reflected on water / Barcelona—sun, sea, and modernist lines meeting Mediterranean ease. / “Awake” by Tycho – uplifting and rhythmic, like waves rolling under the sunlight, carrying both energy and calm.

7. Designer: Qianying Zhu – @qyz_zhu

The main message of your collection is… My work draws inspiration from everyday life’s playful and relaxed moments, embracing the whimsical joy found in staying home for the holidays. By reinterpreting the Chinese zodiac as markers of personal time, I highlight the gentle humor and warmth of domestic rituals – lazy mornings, cozy afternoons, and simple pleasures – inviting viewers to pause, smile, and cherish life’s delightful absurdities. My work transforms cultural memory into contemporary form, capturing the moment where tradition meets an unfolding future. I reimagine the twelve zodiac animals not as fixed symbols of the past, but as living characters that grow and change with us. Each is redesigned with new forms, personalities, and emotions, allowing them to take on unexpected roles and tell fresh stories. In my narrative, these zodiac beads act as small storytellers, each sparking personal or cultural connections – echoes of memory shaped into form. They inhabit moods rather than rigid identities: some carry quiet curiosity, others a playful spirit, all blending tradition and novelty with a gentle sense of wonder. Subtle metal elements create scenes and context, guiding them between ornament and narrative, and capturing moments that feel both fleeting and intimate.

You chose to focus on jewelry because… To me, jewelry is a form of intimate sculpture – small in scale, yet expansive in meaning. It lives on the body, moving with it, breathing with it, and transforming daily gestures into part of its expression. What draws me to this art form is the freedom it grants: the freedom to experiment with diverse materials, and the freedom to explore the subtle dialogues that arise when an object encounters the human body. In that space of interaction, new sparks of meaning and emotion are born.

The perfect jewelry / the perfect city to wear it and the music that goes with that… I don’t see there is one perfect city where my jewelry should be worn. For me, whether a piece feels “perfect” depends much more on the wearer – their mood, how they choose to wear it, and the story they bring to it. If I had to imagine, perhaps my works would feel most at home in a modern, bustling city. As for music, this is such an interesting question – I often listen to music or podcasts while making jewelry, but I’ve never really thought about what soundtrack would match the pieces themselves. For the works I’m showing at ROJW, I feel that something lighthearted and playful would suit them well. The inspirations behind these pieces all come from everyday, slightly awkward yet funny moments – like spilling popcorn in a movie theater, candies escaping from the bag, or a fork accidentally catching two foods at once. I hope viewers can approach my works with the same lightness and humor, so cheerful and whimsical music would be the perfect companion.

Photography: courtesy of artists / ROWJ 2025. 

READ ALSO – 7 Chinese artists (part 2)