From Orchids to Imperial Palaces: Anna Hu’s Latest High Jewellery Collection

Haute Joaillerie

2 Feb

Anna Hu unveiled ten new high jewellery pieces during Paris Haute Couture Week in January, expanding her Orchid Minuet, Enchanted Orchid and Imperial Palace Garden collections. The orchid remains her signature motif—a symbol of love, harmony and unity in Chinese culture that has anchored her work since founding her house in 2007.

For Orchid Minuet, Hu has advanced her technical vocabulary. Crafted in titanium, the pieces undergo nano-electroplating to deposit coloured nanoparticles into finely carved details. Each is then hand-painted under precise temperature and pressure controls before being sealed with resin. The resulting vibrant hues are more than decorative; inspired by Mu Guiying, the legendary Peking Opera heroine, they evoke courage and female strength.

The Enchanted Orchid creations take a subtler approach. Large natural pearls serve as the centerpiece, framed by briolette-cut diamonds, allowing light and volume to define the composition. Hu, trained as a cellist before turning to jewellery, demonstrates a disciplined restraint here—letting materials and form convey their own quiet drama.

Her two new Imperial Palace Garden pieces draw from the structured elegance of Beijing’s royal gardens. Openwork lattice motifs create measured sightlines and a controlled rhythm, guiding the eye while preserving a sense of calm, reflective space.

Across these collections, Hu translates cultural heritage through a contemporary lens. She references Qing dynasty painter Zheng Banqiao and modernist Zhang Daqian without literal imitation, working with Parisian ateliers to create jewellery that acknowledges its sources while remaining decisively modern. The result is high jewellery that carries cultural depth without feeling archival.