FIVE MINUTES WITH

Five minutes with Eric Fung

The co-founder of GINYU Design speaks to Nicole Slater about family traditions

As a self taught jewellery designer, Eric Fung handcrafted his very first ring at the age of 12, which he still keeps pride-of-place on his desk today.

After studying architecture in school, Fung started his career in a manufacturing plant as a project engineer and quality manager, but soon found his true calling in design.

Along with his sister Rosanna, Fung founded GINYU Design in 2018. The company started out as an heirloom homeware brand selling golden bowls and chopsticks, but the pair soon found their passion for jewellery and rebranded.

“The GIN in our name stands for present and implies modern day presentation applied to oriental elegance; while the YU means hard metal or treasure. These words resonate with our brands provenance and philosophy,” says Fung.

While working alongside family can prove challenging for some, Fung takes a different approach,“the key to working efficiently together is knowing each other’s strengths and trusting each other’s decisions,” Fung says.

Fung and his sister strongly believe in following their heart when it comes to jewellery design, “we design products based on what we like first and foremost and find a balance between our brand values, style and market trends. We want to share these happy and memorable moments in our designs,” says Fung.

The jewellery design industry is becoming increasingly popular with many independent businesses popping up across Hong Kong. Fung shares some advice for those inspired to start. “At a time when jewellery designs seem so ubiquitous or homogenous, we believe a brand’s story and target audience needs to be discussed clearly in the objective,” Fung says.

GINYU Design’s story is one of tradition and family ties. By featuring natural elements like bamboo and spring blossoms in his designs, Fung aims to capture and preserve time-honored family traditions from his grandfather, which are sadly being erased.

Traditional touches are especially important around the Lunar New Year, auspicious bamboo plants are a big element during the season, so the Bamboo Groove collection is always a top seller.

To celebrate the festive occasion, the jewellery brand has partnered with a macau based florist, The Grey Green to offer a free bouquet with every purchase during the New Year period. For more information visit

ginyudesign.com