The founder and creative director of Chara Wen is ready to pass on the torch.

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Rachel and Krystal Wen

Background
Taiwanese designer Rachel Wen was always drawn to jewellery. As a child, she would accompany her mother on her numerous jewellery shopping sprees, and was constantly raiding her mother’s jewellery box. “I was allowed to play with whatever jewels she had. And when she was shopping for jewellery, she would always ask for my opinion—and I had a lot even then! I think that is how I developed my unique aesthetic and my passion for jewels.”

Gift of Love
When Wen became a mother herself, she shared her passion for jewellery with her daughter, Krystal. When Krystal turned 18 in 2009, Wen created a brand in her honour and called it Chara Wen—chara meaning happiness and joy. The brand, Wen says, is a gift to her daughter, and “a celebration of the joy and love she’s brought to my life”.

Art jewels
Mostly three-dimensional, Wen’s jewels and timepieces truly are miniature works of art that take months to create. Each Chara Wen piece incorporates a small heart-shaped Burmese ruby, which Wen says symbolises love and blessings. Her pieces have garnered international attention. Among her fans is French actress and model Inès de la Fressange, who was seen wearing a Chara Wen jewellery watch at Paris Fashion Week in 2015. Wen subsequently named the timepiece after the actress.