Aster Ma's collections are influenced by nature, drawing inspiration from flowers and animals. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Aster Ma's collections are influenced by nature, drawing inspiration from flowers and animals. (Photo provided to China Daily)
She recalls trying on diamond rings as a child while the other kids were playing with their toys.
Ma, who has practiced ballet since she was 5 years old, is also interested in music and art.
She went to the United Kingdom to study jewelry design at University of the Arts London and returned to China in 2008.
The young jeweler struggled for a long time in making a decision whether to work for the family business or to set up her own studio, fearing how her family and friends would react if she failed.
She launched her first collection in 2009, after which she found her first client.
Her fame soon spread among the rich and the successful, and their orders can be anything from an 80-carat diamond tiara to a 10-carat ring.
Through the years, many of her clients have also become Ma's close friends.
She says that she designs jewelry based on her knowledge of the client, including their personal tastes, preferences and finger size.
Ma now runs a studio of 10 people. She opened a branch in Beijing last year, in addition to the one in Shenzhen, in order to cater to the clientele in the capital city.
As the second generation of a jeweler family, Ma is now facing the situation of inheriting the family business while focusing on her high jewelry brand.
While she describes herself as more of a jewelry designer, rather than a business woman, she is not afraid to face the challenge.
"It takes generations to build a brand in the West. For us in China, we are now trying to figure it out," she says.
