Liwu Jewellery: Inspired by the Ancient Art of Chinese Calligraphy

Liwu Jewellery is the delicate jewellery brand inspired by the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy and following a soft launch late last year, now launches online and at Wolf & Badger. The brand was created by Irish designer Aine Breen after living in the Chinese capital, Beijing, for two years with her family, where she studied Chinese Calligraphy, to help her better understand the Asian culture.  It was through her studies that she developed a deep appreciation for the Chinese culture and the richness of the Chinese language and when she returned to Ireland, Aine founded ‘Liwu Jewellery,’ which comes from the Chinese word for ‘gift’.

Breens’ launch collection includes a range of 20 pieces, from necklaces, earrings and bracelets – with 4 different meanings, all close to her heart, including; ‘Love – life to the heart, grace to the body’, ‘Happiness’, ‘Three Lucky Stars’, and ‘United Eternity’. All pieces, which are made in Ireland in sterling silver and hallmarked, come complete with a ‘meaning card’ explaining each character.

Aine explains: ‘The love character in Chinese means ‘life to the heart, grace to the body’ and it was really this character that sparked the idea for Liwu Jewellery. I always liked delicate jewellery and my favourite piece was simply a necklace that said ‘love’ in English. I wanted a similar necklace using the Chinese character for ‘love’, which I felt, allowed me to express myself in a more meaningful and subtle manner and the new jewellery range just took off from here.  Aine continues: “The written characters are so rich and full of meaning, that the Chinese often do not express their emotions in the spoken word in order to ‘save face.’ Liwu Jewellery allows individuals to make a statement and express themselves in a very subtle manner. 

Melanie Stockman

All pieces are available in either sterling silver or with 18ct hard gold plating and are hallmarked at the Assay Office in Dublin, Ireland. To view more from Liwu Jewellery you can visit the website here. Prices start from £69.