As Chinese culture becomes increasingly popular around the
world, an increasing number of top international jewelry brands have begun
looking at how to incorporate elements of it into their designs.
London-based jewelry designer Theo Fennell, whose clients
include Elton John, the Beckhams and Helen Mirren, is a pioneer of this trend,
with many of his latest designs a fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Fennell's Chinese Secret Garden ring, which sells for about
40,000 pounds ($61,500), is typical of this fusion. Tiny-hinged doors on the ring
open to reveal a miniature traditional Chinese garden painted in enamel.