Uncivilized Elegance

Uncivilized Elegance

Jewelry Designer Mabel Chong Molds Beauty from Imperfection

BY CRISTINA DEPTULA

Mabel Chong began making handcrafted jewelry in 2003 at her family’s kitchen table. Since then, the San Francisco-based designer has opened several stores, two of which are in SF, and brought her designs to Europe and Asia.

She credits her early inspiration to her mother, who sold her most precious possession, a golden pair of hoop earrings she wore at her wedding, so the family could move from a rural Chinese village to Hong Kong for a better life.

As she explains on her site, ‘By the time I was 13, a single piece of jewelry had not only changed the course of my life, but also captivated my heart.’

Making beautiful objects of jewelry accessible to many people is still important to Mabel, and she sells many items for $150 or less.

Art, travel and the natural world are also major inspirations for Chong. Many of her pieces are for sale but some others are in museums around the world, including San Francisco’s own Asian Art Museum.

She’s also been invited to a jewelry festival in Miami and people at the Golden Globes have worn her creations, and she’s exhibited jewelry at a special pop-up event at San Francisco’s Civic Center, attended by then-mayor Ed Lee.

Her creations include soft metal and gem-embedded leather bracelets, re-imagined pearls in various forms, and sparkling diamond-encrusted gemstones. She also loves working with pyrite and creating floral-inspired earrings.

Her signature collection is called ‘Uncivilized Elegance’ and reflects the duality of nature by combining intricately crafted precious metals with earth-based materials. She says this collection aims to accentuate the raw inner beauty within each woman who wears her pieces.

Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/troora_san_francisco_2021_pages/364