A wonderful obsession with gemstones

There are many different types of jewellers. Some have a focus on design, others on making, some are obsessed with one particular making technique… and some, like Xiao Wang, are obsessed with stones.

Finding out what makes a jeweller tick is a wonderful way to understand their process and designs, and get a behind-the-scene look at the workings of a creative mind.

Chatting with Xiao Wang, her love of gemstones, in all their shapes, forms and colours, is undeniable. In fact, Xiao loves all stones, whether they’re gems or just regular old stones.

“A very early memory of mine is on the beach. I would collect what I thought, quote unquote, probably they were diamonds. They weren’t, obviously. Now of course as a grown up, I know they weren’t diamonds.

“My mom would say: yeah, OK, they're diamonds, and roll her eyes. But I was very obsessed. I collected rocks and things that were very sparkly just off of the beach, or sometimes even like honestly, on the streets.

“My parents were not very pleased with that. They thought it was dirty. But I would bring them home and wash them and put them on my windowsill.

“They were just an amazing collection of diamonds and rocks and crystals. This is what I thought anyway.

“Fast forward, of course I know what they are, and they were just rocks. This is an obsession that I've had since I was a kid, I'm not really sure where it comes from.

“It's really just a natural thing that comes to me and till today I still go rock hunting. I've been a few times in California, several locations. I want to go to different places in Colorado. That's my hobby. And I just really enjoy it, looking for rocks, it's the thrill of the hunt.”

And of course, Xiao’s collection of gemstones make for a great display at home, or as gifts.

“Generally, I’ll put them on either windows or on my desk. And then sometimes I give them away because I just feel they're so cool and I want to share them.

“I don't know if people really appreciate them but I find them to be amazing and I took a lot of time to find them. It comes with good energy. So that's sort of my very early beginning of how I got obsessed with rocks and gemstones.”

Gem-hunting is a hobby that comes with its benefits if you’re a jeweller. Xiao came to the jewellery world through stones. It all started with her obsession for sparkly gems and evolved into two jewellery brands.

“I studied fashion design. I did not have a true interest in jewellery and I don't even think I really had jewellery when I was in my high school or middle school years. I don't think I've gotten many from anybody because I was not interested and no one really gave me any jewellery. I don't think I wore much at all if any.

“It's funny that this happened, but basically I collected a lot of rocks and stones and then at one point it got serious. I started collecting tourmaline and coloured diamonds because I was more educated. I had already honestly been collecting for years. I'd been spending money on that, not so much on designer clothing. I would wear really ripped jeans and T-shirts. I didn't care, I just spent all my money on stones. I loved it. 

“At one point one of my friends said: you have all these stones, what are you going to do with them? No one had ever asked me that question, by the way, and that was first time. What am I going to do with them? And so I ended up making one ring with some coloured diamonds. And the rest is kind of history.

“I went on a journey of learning how to make jewellery right after that. I took classes in metalsmithing and gold granulating, lost wax casting. You know you name it, all of it. Bezel setting, etcetera, etcetera. I went into a hole, I just kept on digging.

“But the first ring I made ended up as part of the Galaxy collection, but it's mine, now I basically wear it. I never take it off, unless I’m at home or swimming… I always tell people don't go swimming with your jewellery please.

“So yeah, that's been the journey and then, of course now I have two jewellery lines.”

The jeweller, behind brands Xiao Wang Jewelry and Ice Cream Candy, is still very much obsessed with gemstones and relates to her clients who appreciate beautiful gems the way she does.

“Some people come with loose stones. I never ask questions, but it's like me, back in the days. I know you. I know people like that, because they remind me of me, I can relate.  

“You know, just because someone collect stones doesn't mean they necessarily want to make them into something. And that’s understandable because there's a lot of rock hunting people, who just want to have the rocks, but maybe they want to wear one for once.

“I know someone who had a piece of aquamarine. It was a beautiful, really big rough. He came to me and asked if he should cut it. I said: it's so beautiful on its own. I wouldn't mess with it.

“But he really wanted to make a necklace for his wife, so we ended up making it and we added little diamonds around it, and it was sat in an organic setting. It was so beautiful.”

Of course, not everyone can be as knowledgeable about gemstones as Xiao. Which is why the jeweller does the legwork for her clients.

“My stones are all sourced around the world. I do have direct contact with my dealers and my dealers are very reputable and I generally source things that I understand. 

“It might take me a while to warm up to something I don’t understand. I like stones that are obviously ethically sourced. I need to know where they're from. I need to know which mines they're from, and what's the process? Who's cutting it in which country? So that's sort of my job to make sure that these stones are up to the standards.”

From street rocks and beach pebbles to diamonds, Xiao has come a long way in her gemstone’s journey, creating two jewellery brands on the way.