The “Tiffany Céleste” collection reimagines designer Jean Schlumberger’s interpretations of the universe.
Wwake’s New Objects Collection is a Lesson in Upcycling
The brand’s limited-edition glass vessels contain opals that didn’t make the cut for jewelry.
New York—In addition to the inherent challenges that come with being an artist running a small business, Wwake designer Wing Yau has tasked herself with a greater goal: making her line as traceable and eco-friendly as possible.
Ethical sourcing is a process—and Yau is knee-deep in it—but she’s found one creative means of limiting her business’s footprint.
Launched last week in collaboration with glassblower and jeweler Colin Lynch, whom she met while studying at the esteemed Rhode Island School of Design, Wwake’s “Art Objects” are a limited-edition collection of glass vials based on Greek Hellenistic artifacts filled with the opals that couldn’t be incorporated into Wwake jewelry.
“When you make jewelry, there’s such a strong focus on the most rare, beautiful material,” Yau explained. “But when you trace your materials from the mine to the cutting process and then to the jewelry, you see exactly how much precious material doesn’t actually make the cut; it becomes waste. As such, jewelry can be expected to represent our most perfect selves and not the whole of what we do.
“For me, the process and the imperfections are beautiful too—they show intention—and this is so much of what Colin and I do as designers. Our vials are intended to highlight the beauty of our ‘imperfect’ opals in timeless artifacts.”
Yau studied sculpture at RISD, and while she also produces larger-scale jewelry under the moniker Closer by Wwake, her delicate 14-karat gold and opal earrings and rings are what really caught the attention of stores, editors and consumers.
Opals are now synonymous with the brand and have become even more meaningful to Yau as she educates herself on their provenance and becomes more involved in their sourcing from mines like Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge and Mintabie.
“I told (Lynch) how much our opals mean to me, being that we’ve started to work directly with our miner and cut our stones custom for Wwake jewelry, so we bring the material to life from start to finish,” Yau said. “Opals really hold a sense of place for me. So, naturally, we began collaborating on making vials that captured this emotional quality behind our materials.”
Lynch has his own line of jewelry called Keane, comprised of glass vial necklaces containing sand from different beaches around the world.
Riffing off of that concept, the Wwake Art Objects function as a sort of altar to
“The vials’ shapes are modeled after Greek Hellenistic artifacts,” Yau said. “It’s a nod to items that hold value for the history of mankind, because they’re rich with clues about how and why people made things. I hope that our customers feel this way about our opals too.”
Yau, who took home a CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative Micro Award for her dedication to developing a fully traceable jewelry line, said that working in a category outside of jewelry felt “like coming home.”
The Art Objects are available at The Primary Essentials and on wwake.com. The limited-edition group of 75, all of which are handmade and one-of-a-kind, is priced at $180 to $300.
The Latest
The brand also created a 100-carat lab-grown diamond necklace in honor of its centennial.
Tim Schlick has been promoted from his previous position as COO.
Meet Ben Claus—grand prize winner of For the Love of Jewelers 2023 Fall Design Challenge.
It’s the second year for the event, slated to take place in October in Toronto.
Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
Sales will be paused while the relocation takes place over the next few months.
With Ho Brothers, you can unlock your brand's true potential and offer customers the personalized jewelry experiences they desire.
“SIS x MISA Denim and Diamonds” is a collaboration between the designer and celebrity stylist Misa Hylton.
The retailer is moving to a newly designed space in the same shopping center.
Gifts that are unique and thoughtful are top of mind this year, according to the annual survey.
The necklace is featured in the brand’s “Rebel Heart” campaign starring Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo.
The two organizations will host a joint event, “Converge,” in September 2025.
Big changes appear to be on the horizon for the diamond miner and its parent company, Anglo American.
Padis succeeds Lisa Bridge, marking the first time the organization has had two women board presidents in a row.
Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment, shared the “five Es” of building a fan base during his AGS Conclave keynote.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar "John Mayer" was celebrated at a star-studded party in LA last week.
The announcement came as the company reported a 23 percent drop in production in Q1.
The three-time Pro Bowler continues to partner with the retailer, donating to a Detroit nonprofit and giving watches to fans.
A double-digit drop in the number of in-store crimes was offset by a jump in off-premises attacks, JSA’s 2023 crime report shows.
Inspired by the Roman goddess of love, the designer looked to the sea for her new collection.
The luxury titan posted declining sales, weighed down by Gucci’s poor performance.
The selected nine organizations have outlined their plans for the funds.
The mining company’s Diavik Diamond Mine lost four employees in a plane crash in January.
The crown introduced a dozen timepieces in Geneva, including a heavy metal version of its deep-sea divers’ watch.
Emmanuel Raheb recommends digging into demographic data, customizing your store’s communications, and retargeting ahead of May 12.
Located in the town of Queensbury, it features a dedicated bridal section and a Gabriel & Co. store-in-store.