Shanghai-based designer Grace Tang is redefining the language of fine jewelry. Trained at GIA, in Shanghai, and shaped by years in the gemstone trade, Tang brings a design approach that marries the rigor of appraisal with the spontaneity of artistic exploration.
She balances cultural nuance, technical sophistication, and instinct with finesse. “I think I was already practicing creativity before I had a concept of the word,” she says. Her early exposure to art, history, and mythology formed a foundation that now informs every piece. At once architectonic and emotionally expressive, her work seeks continuity across time and tradition.
Tang’s Shanghai upbringing plays an undeniable role. “Different cultures and times have left their marks here…As someone born and raised here, I have the same spirit in my blood.” She brings this perspective to each design brief, toggling between symbolism and material intelligence. “If you find a more interesting way of expression, just give up the one that is not so good.”
Her minaudière, made in 18k all gold and embellished with custom-cut onyx and natural diamonds, epitomizes this hybrid thinking: “a sculptural object that sits between adornment and artefact.” “Jewelry can not only be ‘worn’ on the body, but also ‘brought’ out,” she says, framing the clutch as a bridge between art and utility. The gold used in the minaudière alone totals 250g and features ancient Chinese hand-engraving techniques to create texture on the surface of the accessory. In 2024, Grace presented her one-of-a-kind minaudière at the ART021 Shanghai Art Fair, where she noticed a significant shift in the collector demographic. Unlike before, most visitors were art collectors rather than dedicated jewellery collectors, she shares. “Within the broader context of art, it can be challenging to gain recognition for jewellery pieces, but this bag transcended those boundaries. It was consistently regarded as a work of art, not just jewellery. Those affirmations from seasoned collectors gave me a deep sense of validation and renewed confidence in my practice,” says Grace, who is designing a new iteration.
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Pearls remain a consistent motif, chosen not only for their softness and iridescence but their organic life-markings. Tang pairs conch and South Sea pearls with brushed gold or titanium — materials chosen as much for weight and form as for symbolism. Her brooches, described as “micro-architectures of the body,” reflect her fascination with wearable forms that can also function as spatial sculpture. “When not worn, it becomes an installation…bringing multi-dimensional spiritual perception and experience.”
Having weathered years of creative evolution, Tang’s vision remains both global and grounded. From cross-cultural symbolism to AI-assisted gem-cutting in Sri Lanka, her practice reflects jewelry not as a static object but as a living form, informed by philosophy, translated through material, and elevated by experimentation.
