Anabela Chan's jewellery are objects of desire

London-based Anabela Chan may not be a household name yet, but her deliciously sumptuous and enchanting and exquisitely hand-made jewellery are  already counted among red-carpet favourites for A-list celebrities, the likes of Lady Gaga, Rita Ora and FKA Twigs.

Using a gamut of precious and semi-precious stones as well as sustainable and ethical laboratory-grown gemstones, Anabela's main focus are in the intricate workmanship that bring out best of the myriad of colours.

Anabela's designs are bold with a sense of drama but many are like miniature sculptures, or pieces of artwork.

Dancing butterflies fluttering around blossoms with a dangling tear-drop diamond for a pair of romantic earrings, or a magical setting of a butterfly resting on a bouquet of orchards for a ring.

Diamonds may appear as clusters of stars or floating in space in her Constellation range, while in the Couture Jewellery collection, Anabela takes you on a mythical journey into a paradise garden borrowing features from nature: fern leaves, butterflies and beetles for a necklace, ear-cuffs, brooch and bracelet.

Originally trained as an architect, Anabela's flagship boutique in London is situated just a stone's throw from the buzzling Piccadilly Circus, but quietly tucked in the discrete courtyard of Ham Yard Village on Denman Place on the doorstep of Ham Yard Hotel.

Designed like a curiosity shop decorated with glass jars to showcase the jewellery, adorned with objets d'art and taxidermy specimens, the shop is uniquely enchanting for the discerning lady in search of something magical.

Anabela was born into 3 generations of film directors and cinematographers, having grown up in London and Paris, and trained at the world-renowned Royal College of Art and Gemmological Association of Great Britain.

According to her CV,  Anabela had worked with iconic architect Lord Richard Rogers and Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen in London for 7 years before returning to jewellery to launch her eponymous label in 2013 and opening her London boutique in November 2014.

While happy to accept commission work, one of Anabela's recent special projects are couture hand-embroidered one-of-a-kind cushions produced in collaboration with her friend Mane Virdee.  Note the glittering list of materials used for this collaboration:- crystal and glass beads, metallic gold and silver embroidery threads, hand dyed cotton and silk threads, velvet as shown on the kaleidoscope-like pattern formed on the cushion in the picture above with the help of Emily Gore who works for Anabela Chan.

To date, Anabela has won many international design awards:-
British Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and Design Awards in Fine Jewellery, Platinum Jewellery 2012, 2013
Gemmological Association of Great Britain Award 2012
Studio William Cutlery Design Gold Award 2012
Sponsored by Swarovski 2012, 2013
ITS Finalist 2012, 2013
Vogue VFDE New Talent Award 2014

Anabela Chan is London's best kept secret no more.

All photos © Lucia Carpio 2017