If you’re on the prowl for an accessory in the 3.5 to 4.2 million dollar range, we suggest checking out Cindy Chao’s latest endeavor. The jewelry designer, who shows her high-wattage wares during the Haute Couture shows in Paris, was tapped by Sotheby’s Hong Kong to create a very special ruby ring to celebrate the auction house’s fortieth year in Asia. “When I was shown this stupendous ruby, I was tantalized by its beauty and grandeur, and I was immediately inspired,” offered Chao of the 8.03-carat Burmese “pigeon’s blood” ruby that Sotheby’s asked her to incorporate into her design.
The piece, which will go up for auction alongside a series of equally stunning accoutrements in Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s fall sale this month, also boasts a healthy sprinkling of diamonds. The pavéd stones cover ribbon-shaped tendrils that wrap around the giant rouge gem. “I have always believed that magnificent gemstones are nature’s ‘accidental’ works of art, and its most precious gifts to us,” Chao told Style.com. “With the idea of ‘gift’ in mind, and inspired by the organic flow of ribbons, I designed this ring as if a gift is being unwrapped—continuous pavéd ribbons that seem to fly in the wind and have been caught within a fleeting moment, encircling and cradling the ruby.” Chao’s ultra-rare design will go under the hammer on October 7, so if you like it, you should probably put a bid on it.
