Designer's creativity shines through in her jewelry

The Cindy Chao Maison in Shanghai is the brand's largest showroom in Asia, as she believes mainland consumers are ready for her creations, as well as the connoisseur experience the showroom provides to visitors.

Collectors of her jewelry creations are discreet, though she did reveal in an interview with the Financial Times in October that 60 percent of her collectors are from Asia, and the ratio will likely keep growing.

As a Chinese woman breaking into the luxury jewelry industry dominated by big luxury companies, Chao is more than proud to introduce her brand to her compatriots in the Chinese mainland. The mainland market has lots of potential, she said, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic only "sped up my return to the homeland". The world seemed to fall asleep as fairs and events were canceled but the Chinese market is still strong and active, she said.