Anna Hu’s Monumental Blooms

Anna Hu's latest high jewellery collections mark a departure from the lyrical, butterfly-and-flower compositions that have long defined her creations. While flora remains the conceptual starting point, the execution is decidedly more monumental. Both Route des Fleurs Impériales and Jardin Émeraude de Monte-Carlo are anchored by imposing collar necklaces with the sculptural presence of ceremonial jewels, a register she has rarely worked in before.

The Route des Fleurs Impériales necklace is conceived as a sweeping bib, its broad silhouette formed by an intricate lacework of diamonds. Hu creates rhythm through a sequence of substantial cabochon-cut pink tourmalines, shifting between raspberry and electric fuchsia tones. Graduated in size and bordered by pavé-set pink sapphires and diamonds, the stones appear held within a light, openwork structure that tempers the necklace's scale.

Jardin Émeraude de Monte-Carlo follows a different register. A series of large oval cabochon-cut Zambian emeralds forms the centre of the composition, each surrounded by halos of brilliant-cut diamonds. Here, the open space between the stones is as deliberate as the gems themselves. The lattice allows the saturated green surfaces to remain the focus, while smaller emerald beads along the edges introduce movement and reinforce the necklace's architectural construction.

Across both pieces, Hu places emphasis on the cabochon cut, a choice that shifts attention from sparkle to colour. The polished, domed surfaces of the stones absorb and diffuse light, allowing variations in tone and depth to become the defining visual quality.

Scale is central to these works. The necklaces recall the ceremonial presence of Belle Époque parures and the grand jewels of mid-century haute joaillerie, without imitating either directly.

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