Keeping the focus on jewels

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Wang says while most wearable devices and smart jewelry have their roots in technology, he sees his creations first as jewelry and then as a wearable device.

To stress his point, Wang says he uses precious metals and natural rhinestones in his products, rather than just alloy, which is commonly used in most wearable devices.

"They (the pieces) are first and foremost pieces of jewelry. So, we work more with jewelry designers than with industrial designers," he says.

Founded a year ago, Totwoo has so far won the China Award given by the Italy-China Foundation for combing Italian and Chinese creativity.

Previous winners include Tencent, Prada and Max Mara.

Totwoo was also credited for "the most creative jewelry" in 2015 by Bazaar jewelry magazine.

The brand released its first collection We Bloom in Milan last October, highlighting its use of gemstones and Swarovski crystals.

It also made a runway appearance at a recent fashion show in Toronto organized by We are Wearables, a global community of wearable technology.