Chantel Shafie is a third-culture kid: the Anglo-Persian jewellery designer has spent the last 20 years in Hong Kong, where she has cultivated a deep-rooted connection with the local culture. Not many jewellers focus on reviving jewellery arts, which involves restoring and promoting traditional techniques and cultural significance that have been overshadowed by mass production and commercialism. This challenge is even greater for those attempting to revive a culture they are not part of. However, Shafie wants to stand out from the pack. This revival is essential because it preserves cultural heritage, fosters and promotes craftsmanship.
It all started with her Signature Medallion Collection, which initially emerged during the pandemic as she transitioned from bespoke private jewellery to a fully realised brand. “My [first] collection features vintage 22-karat gold coins set into diamond medallions, set into diamond[-encrusted] medallions which are designed to be worn alone or part of a set [stacked up]. From this, I created The Chinese Zodiac Series using Hong Kong coins depicting the zodiac animals,” she says. She started off by posting vintage lunar coins on her Instagram stories, where clients would message her to reserve the coins; some of them would even request her to find vintage coins from their birth year. She would then turn those coins into jewellery.
Hong Kong-based jewellery designer Chantel Shafie (Photo: courtesy of Chantel Shafie)
While this collection marked her initial foray into creating coin jewellery, she realised that there was limited availability of these coins with the zodiac animals—and the demand for these pieces was growing quickly. “I have purchased all the available mini Chinese Zodiac Hong Kong coins by the British Royal Mint. Most of them are now sold out, and there are waiting lists for many of the animals,” she says. The Year of the Dragon coins were the toughest to source for her, because even if it wasn’t their lunar animal, both Asian and western customers were “very excited to harness their dragon energy”. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to find the exact combination of birth year and lunar animals, and so “the genesis of this lunar animal coin concept culminated in The Eternal Dragon Collection”, she says. On hearing about the new collection, I was intrigued to see how Shafie had managed to continue building on her signature collection, despite the scarcity of these coins.
She showed me her latest designs from the new collection, which launched this month, over lunch at The Upper House’s Salisterra, where she explained her motivation. “I think it’s very important that I base my pieces here in Hong Kong and give back to the community that has given me my home and my career,” she says. “Coming from a multicultural background, I was immersed in so many different flavours of life: food, fashion, historical stories, different religions. [The collection] is a cultural integration of different aspects that I have been [exposed] to [and my] interest in Chinese culture.”
Chantel Shafie Eternal Dragon Collection (Photo: courtesy of Chantel Shafie)
“The coins represent heaven and Earth,” she says. “Heaven is represented by the circle and the Earth is the square hole in the middle, and this attracts wealth and abundance while offering protection against evil spirits, while [traditionally] the dragonis depicted with a pearl—[in these pieces, the pearl is] represented by a diamond.” On the reverse of the coin, you see “the auspicious clouds that stand for good fortune, positive energy and spiritual growth. Together these convey a dynamic energy and symbolise protection, success, and prosperity.”
To ensure that all these elements were culturally appropriate, Shafie worked with local artisans, who have had an impact on her work. While there are sometimes language barriers, she has forged deep connections with jewellery craftsmen and masters, who are eager to share their knowledge. A pivotal moment in the development of her designs was meeting a feng shui master who introduced her to the auspicious symbolism of the lunar zodiac animals, especially the dragon. Her interaction with these artisans not only informed her designs but also deepened her understanding of the cultural significance behind the motifs. For instance, the feng shui master “confirmed that the dragon would be appropriate [to include in the design]. He also suggestedthat I include a dragon pearl and auspicious clouds into the design,” she says. After these initial discussions, she sketched the initial concept.
Another important aspect of designing this collection and keeping it in line with Chinese traditions was choosing the right dragon. Shafie collaborated with one of the city’s last craftsmen who specialises in dragon carving—in his 90s now, he has devoted his life to creating intricate representations of dragons using gold and precious metals, which hold significant cultural and symbolic importance in Chinese mythology. “I worked closely with the feng shui master and the master dragon carver to create an auspicious dragon that conveys dynamic energy and symbolises protection, success and prosperity for the wearer,” she says.
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Chantel Shafie Eternal Dragon bracelets available in six stones (Photo: courtesy of Chantel Shafie)
Even her choice of materials in the collection has been thought through as a way of integrating the cultures that surround her. Shafie selected six different stones for this new collection: onyx, mother of pearl, red jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and jade. “I wanted to appeal to people who might not be knowledgeable about Chinese symbolism but would feel a synergy with different ornamental stones,” she says. Each stone is chosen for its unique energies and properties. For instance, “Turquoise is associated with protection and communication, but [it is also important to me,] being half Persian myself—it is pretty much the national stone of Iran,” she says. “In Asian culture, a lot of jewellery is worn for luck and prosperity, like jade bangles. So I thought it was extremely important for me to include jade in this collection as well.”
But when discussing the materials used in this collection, the source of the metal stands out as equally significant as the stones used. Shafie says, “Using 18-karat recycled gold is a conscious choice for me, as sustainability is a fundamental aspect of my work. This collection embodies positivity, and I wanted every aspect to reflect mindfulness.”
The new Chantel Shafie collection is not just about creating beautiful jewellery; it is also about “aligning with a responsible and ethical vision”. It is an attempt to ensure the preservation of traditional Chinese jewellery arts. Shafie aims to revive these cultural practices through her designs, recognising that many craftsmen in the fields of feng shui coins and dragon carving lack successors. “A lot of these craftsmen have family members that aren’t interested in continuing their [work]. I’m very aware that they’re the last of their kind,” she says. She hopes in some small way to help continue their traditions, one eternal dragon at a time.
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