Her Red Lotus Under The Sun brooch, studded with rubies, attracted the attention of high jewelry enthusiasts present at GemGèneve. The brooch is undoubtedly the most impressive piece among those created by Diana Zhang. But he’s not the only one. The artist-designer was discovered in Europe about ten years ago, at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris. And today Diana Zhang is one of the most influential figures on the Asian art scene. Her is an extremely rare production, which amplifies the exclusivity and charm of Diana Zhang’s creations. And after being the first Asian jeweler to exhibit her works at the Biennales des Antiquaires, alongside legendary brands, in recent years Diana Zhang has established herself as one of the most promising designers, as these images testify.
It took Diana Zhang three years to complete the brooch, including two years to carefully select one hundred unheated pigeon blood rubies, and one year to produce the jewelry. Before being set, the gems were sent to SSEF, Switzerland, for certification. The petals are covered in 3,805 small rubies, also unheated, all delicately and skillfully cut by the designer. Red Lotus Under The Sun can be worn three different ways. In addition to the original combination, it can be worn as a brooch with special accessories, or combined with a diamond bracelet. This last piece can be worn independently.
Red Lotus Under The Sun is inspired by the poem The Temple by the Lake at Dawn by Yang Wanli of the Song Dynasty. In particular to the words «the green lotus leaves extend up to the boundless sky, while the red lotus flowers take on a new shade from the sun». The flower has its own internal beauty: “it comes from the mud, yet it remains immaculate”. The bracelet it can be paired with is made with seven cushion- and oval-cut diamonds of D, E, F color and internally flawless up to GIA VS1 grade, as well as a total of 2,569 other smaller diamonds. Diana also created a thoughtful design using the lighter, yet harder titanium and 18k gold setting to preserve a comfortable, lightweight fit.
Born in Jilin, China, the designer was inspired by fashion, jewelry and art from a young age. Completely self-taught, Diana Zhang sees jewelry as a means to explore the meaning of life. Her surprisingly lifelike jewelry reflects a reality rewritten through precious stones.
The meticulousness in choosing the gems used for the creations and the production times, generally between six months and two years, make the creator a particularly coveted and difficult to access signature. Each diamond and gemstone is personally selected by the designer, who ensures that each gem has the right color, clarity and best cut. Even the small diamonds used in Diana’s designs all achieve D-F VS color clarity and above. In 2017, Tatler Asia magazine dedicated a portrait of her, revealing that the artist deliberately produces only a limited number of pieces per year, often less than twenty.
