MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
TrendsJul 05, 2018
Wwake’s New Objects Collection is a Lesson in Upcycling
The brand’s limited-edition glass vessels contain opals that didn’t make the cut for jewelry.
Wwake designer Wing Yau collaborated with friend and artist Colin Lynch on a limited-edition series of glass vials containing opal castoffs.
New York—In addition to the inherent challenges that come with being an artist running a small business, Wwake designer Wing Yau has tasked herself with a greater goal: making her line as traceable and eco-friendly as possible.
Ethical sourcing is a process—and Yau is knee-deep in it—but she’s found one creative means of limiting her business’s footprint.
Launched last week in collaboration with glassblower and jeweler Colin Lynch, whom she met while studying at the esteemed Rhode Island School of Design, Wwake’s “Art Objects” are a limited-edition collection of glass vials based on Greek Hellenistic artifacts filled with the opals that couldn’t be incorporated into Wwake jewelry.
“When you make jewelry, there’s such a strong focus on the most rare, beautiful material,” Yau explained. “But when you trace your materials from the mine to the cutting process and then to the jewelry, you see exactly how much precious material doesn’t actually make the cut; it becomes waste. As such, jewelry can be expected to represent our most perfect selves and not the whole of what we do.
“For me, the process and the imperfections are beautiful too—they show intention—and this is so much of what Colin and I do as designers. Our vials are intended to highlight the beauty of our ‘imperfect’ opals in timeless artifacts.”
Yau studied sculpture at RISD, and while she also produces larger-scale jewelry under the moniker Closer by Wwake, her delicate 14-karat gold and opal earrings and rings are what really caught the attention of stores, editors and consumers.
Opals are now synonymous with the brand and have become even more meaningful to Yau as she educates herself on their provenance and becomes more involved in their sourcing from mines like Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge and Mintabie.
“I told (Lynch) how much our opals mean to me, being that we’ve started to work directly with our miner and cut our stones custom for Wwake jewelry, so we bring the material to life from start to finish,” Yau said. “Opals really hold a sense of place for me. So, naturally, we began collaborating on making vials that captured this emotional quality behind our materials.”
Lynch has his own line of jewelry called Keane, comprised of glass vial necklaces containing sand from different beaches around the world.
Riffing off of that concept, the Wwake Art Objects function as a sort of altar to
the opal itself—the combination of rough and cut stones is preserved in the vials the way a painting might be protected by a frame or behind glass.
“The vials’ shapes are modeled after Greek Hellenistic artifacts,” Yau said. “It’s a nod to items that hold value for the history of mankind, because they’re rich with clues about how and why people made things. I hope that our customers feel this way about our opals too.”
Yau, who took home a CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative Micro Award for her dedication to developing a fully traceable jewelry line, said that working in a category outside of jewelry felt “like coming home.”
The Art Objects are available at The Primary Essentials and on wwake.com. The limited-edition group of 75, all of which are handmade and one-of-a-kind, is priced at $180 to $300.
“The vials’ shapes are modeled after Greek Hellenistic artifacts,” Yau said. “It’s a nod to items that hold value for the history of mankind, because they’re rich with clues about how and why people made things. I hope that our customers feel this way about our opals too.”
Yau, who took home a CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative Micro Award for her dedication to developing a fully traceable jewelry line, said that working in a category outside of jewelry felt “like coming home.”
The Art Objects are available at The Primary Essentials and on wwake.com. The limited-edition group of 75, all of which are handmade and one-of-a-kind, is priced at $180 to $300.
More on Trends
The Latest
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
Policies & IssuesMar 25, 2026
Community for Ethical Jewelry to Host Bench Jeweler Shortage WebinarSet for April 2, the webinar will discuss how the jewelry industry can address the workforce gap.
