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Newly available at Maison Birks, Qeelin brings a playful, modern touch to fine jewellery through its exceptionally designed pieces while paying homage to Chinese culture.
Since being founded in 2004 by jewellery designer Dennis Chan, an interdisciplinary creator and the brand’s creative director, Qeelin has been celebrating the beauty and wisdom of China’s cultural heritage through its innovative designs and superlative craftsmanship.
After starting his design career in London, Chan later returned to his native Hong Kong, where he set up his studio in 1989. Not only has he collaborated with numerous luxury brands, but his design, sculpture, and photography works have been exhibited around the world, including at the Louvre in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, garnering him multiple international honours and awards. Inspired by his heritage, Chan’s goal is to capture the essence of Chinese art and culture and bring it forth into the luxury realm, using fine jewellery as his medium. This is on full display in Qeelin’s creations, as the brand’s lead creative reinterprets concepts from a civilization dating back thousands of years with a refreshing, contemporary view and the highest quality materials.
Qeelin was named after the “qilin”, a mystical, benevolent creature whose appearance is a sign of good fortune. The name also embodies the brand’s philosophy of balance and harmony throughout each one of its facets, drawing on the concept of yin and yang as two opposite yet complementary forces in the world. Similarly, Qeelin brings together deep respect for history and tradition with a contemporary design vision. Each of its refined, exquisite jewellery pieces carries deep symbolism steeped in Chinese culture but redefined through a current lens. The result is an impressive array of intricate, imaginative quality jewellery pieces including earrings, pendants, and bracelets intended to be worn every day.
The brand’s most iconic collection, Wulu, is inspired by the “hulu” (calabash gourd), an auspicious symbol of optimism and hope. Its smooth shape evokes the figure “8”, which beckons wealth and symbolizes infinity. The Wulu collection captures this harmony through designs that boast elegant silhouettes elevated with luminous diamonds, like 18K gold earrings and diamond charm pendants.
The Yu Yi collection plays on the shape of the “ruyi” lock, an accessory worn in ancient China as a symbol of protection. Qeelin brings this concept into the 21st century with fine jewellery interpretations like an 18K gold bracelet with diamonds, as well as pendants and earrings with colourful stones like jade and red agate.
Qeelin