By Bowy Goudkamp

In mandarin Ming means bright. This makes us echo the question that the famous William Shakespeare once asked his audience when writing Romeo & Juliet as for ‘’What is in a name?’’

Her name might have been exactly what has made this beautiful gemologist, goldsmith and diamond appraiser to become the acclaimed jeweler that she is today. Wearing only her mom’s inherited bangle on a day-to-day base, she allows all the other gems that surround her the full stage.

 

Tell us more about your style, how it began in Asia, what is the science and art of their craftsmanship that awakened your obsession with jewellery? 

‘’My parents lived in Hong Kong before I was born and for the first four years of my life. We came to England with some Chinese art and antiques and so I feel like Asian art and style has always been around me. I have also spent time in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand so the oriental aesthetic does definitely influence a lot of my work. I also developed my own interest in Asian decorative art, traditions of design and reference of jewellery. The strong reverence and love for gems and metals they have in the Asian culture is what pulled me into their worship for their art and craftsmanship too. In ancient Vedic scriptures they wrote about certain gemstones aligning oneself to the planets and to the earth. They hold the tradition of keeping wealth in gold and stones. They also use them in the representation of their religious icons and symbols. Gold and gems are very much tied in to their human existence, much more than you would have in Europe for example. I have tried to honor this knowledge when creating the pieces for my Oriental Garden collection but I also let my own intuition guide me in my jewellery making.’’

 

Do you have a mentor or inspirational figure that has guided or influenced you?

‘’When I left school I went to India and did a sort of informal internship. I found a guy sitting outside on the side of the road who made jewellery and I just sat down next to him. We made an arrangement that I would buy the metals and he would teach me his craft. I did the same in Sri Lanka because I wanted to learn different cultural techniques. These craftsmen were a major source of inspiration but my initial love for gems came from getting a bag of beads from a friend when I was seventeen. He owed me some money but could only offer me a bag of beads. I took them, made them into necklaces and sold them. At the time I was more impressed with my ability to sell something that I had made myself but looking back the beads were actually incredible. I had garnets, lapis lazuli, amber and other amazing gemstones but I was only able to see them as colors at the time. I sold them for ten or twenty pounds as that was the time it took for me to make the necklaces. Of course they sold brilliantly because some people were more familiar with their true value than I myself was at the time. But the more I worked with the beads the more they got a hold on me. And as my interest grew that’s when I set out to India. It was then that my obsession with beads, gemstones and jewellery was really ignited and I became obsessed with making my own.’’

Flowerbud Ring: 8.64ct green tourmaline with blue sapphires in 18ct rose gold.                             
Flowerbud Ring: 8.64ct green tourmaline with blue sapphires in 18ct rose gold.                             
Turquoise Flower Drop earrings: Turquoise, sapphire, tsavorite, 18ct yellow gold
Turquoise Flower Drop earrings: Turquoise, sapphire, tsavorite, 18ct yellow gold
A 13.65ct garnet with blue sapphires in 18ct white and black gold. 
Violet Ring: A 13.65ct garnet with blue sapphires in 18ct white and black gold. 

Do you have a muse, or are you inspired to design pieces for a certain type of women? Who is she?

‘’Yes, it most often happens that someone inspires me. It could be anybody. I have a friend who I very often think of when I am working on a jewel and I mentally style it on her as it helps me to work out size and how the piece sits. I am working on a pair of earrings at the moment and they are just for JLo. Not actually for her, but in my imagination I am making them for her. She has enough attitude to carry the size and the strength of the huge unusual earrings.  My Wisteria necklace for example I have always imagined on Cate Blanchett. There is something about the impact, the lightness of the design and the coloring that I think would look gorgeous on her. So I guess strong, powerful, women of character are an inspiration to me.’’

 

Do you have any favorite stones or metals that you’re particularly drawn to at the moment?

‘’I always love sapphires; sapphires come in every color so they have a big role in my collection of The Oriental Garden because of the different kind of colors you find in a garden. Sapphire is a very hard gemstone that allows for a high polish and therefore a bright sparkle. Sapphires also offer up different color in different lights, which for me is a lot of the magic of gemstones. They have the feeling of transporting you, they can have you spell bound. But I love all stones. I find it hard to choose one as a favorite as they all have their qualities and their own allure.’’

 

Tell us more about your first collection of one-of-a-kind jewels, the twenty pieces inspired by gardens of the oriental.

‘’Having had so much oriental influence in my life I am still very much English as well. The Oriental Garden is therefore a real representative of me. I have been doing commissions for nearly twenty years and through this time I have collected stones and drawn designs that I have really wanted to bring into existence. With the commissions you try to capture the spirit of someone else, but with a collection you can really capture something about yourself. I am using the opportunity of the collection to challenge my usual style, which is a quite geometric, with free fall and natural form. It is definitely a garden of my imagination where the palm tree can live in harmony next to a rose bush. With the insects and animals in this collection I wanted to pay homage to the existing traditions in jewellery design for these forms and shapes but also allow myself some room to explore new techniques to my own authentic craft. This enabled me to give them a more contemporary feel and simultaneously capture the timeless nature of these insects, animals, plants and flowers.’’

Moth Earrings: Diamond, black diamond, ruby, orange, yellow and pink sapphire, 18 & 22ct gold
Moth Earrings: Diamond, black diamond, ruby, orange, yellow and pink sapphire, 18 & 22ct gold
Palm Tree Cuffs 5.05cts tsavorite in 18ct yellow gold
Palm Tree Cuffs: 5.05cts tsavorite in 18ct yellow gold
18ct yellow and black gold enamelled beetle set with top blue sapphires hanging from detachable gold hoops
Gold Enamelled Beetle Earrings: 18ct yellow and black gold enamelled beetle set with top blue sapphires hanging from detachable gold hoops

What is your favorite piece you’ve ever created – and what made it so special?

‘’Always the one I am currently working on. When I am making a piece I am so excited by it, so whatever I am working on I will be like; ‘this is the best piece I have ever made!’ I love the Wisteria because it was such a technical challenge to get it to fall naturally and effortlessly around the neck. The difficulty of this item captures a lot of what I try to do with jewelry. I want it to be light but have an impact; it has to be both dynamic and wearable at the same time. I am also fond of the Lapis Poolring. I love lapis lazuli in fine jewelry, as it is not often used in this way, and the technical difficulty of cutting a stone perfectly to fit another stone always moves me. But here I am once again, not able to give you a favorite as for me they are all exciting in their own way. ‘’

Wisteria Necklace: 54.60cts of blue sapphire set in 18ct white gold
Wisteria Necklace: 54.60cts of blue sapphire set in 18ct white gold
Lapis Pool Ring: Tourmaline, lapis lazuli, black diamond, 18ct yellow gold
Lapis Pool Ring: Tourmaline, lapis lazuli, black diamond, 18ct yellow gold

As a designer and an artist, what is the legacy you wish to leave behind?

‘’Legacies of beauty and of making pieces that become family treasure. I hope that my jewellery holds stories for people and families. An engagement ring marks the moment when two strangers become family and the engagement ring is their first piece of family treasure together. There is often a connection between jewelry and love as people often buy jewelry as a gift for loved ones or they buy jewelry for themselves to mark a moment of love or a memory of a person. Stories and symbolism are very much tied into jewelry.

My friend Rosetta hosts art programs in hostels for the terminally ill, who are facing the end of their life or their families who recently bereaved. Amongst other artistic and musical programs one thing she does is ask people to bring an item that holds memories for them. Most of the time people bring in jewellery, I guess because it is the most portable and because it is worn next to your skin. To have a jewel become a treasure in this way makes it a legacy to every individual. I find it is incredible that my work can become a part of that. How lucky I am.’’

 

You can find Ming Jewelry on 108 Talbod Rd, Notting Hill in London or visit: http://www.mingjewellery.com

For more information on Rosetta’s Art Program please visit: http://www.rosettalife.org

‘The learning from these projects provides evidence aimed at changing the delivery of care for the elderly, the young frail and disabled who live with life limiting illnesses. Over the past 12 years Rosetta Life has worked with over 100 hospices across the UK and internationally.’