The entire crafting process of the creations would be followed by reporters and duly recorded. This was a way to drum up publicity and excitement for the competition.
As a result, no matter how much the competitors hated each other, they still maintained a civil front and did not dare to stir up too much conflict.
Therefore, Jacqueline Madan very quickly stopped her antagonistic behavior.
Wen Xinya was also unwilling to prolong the encounter. She just headed off to the raw materials room to select the required gems for her design.
A reporter carrying a video camera diligently followed Wen Xinya.
Although the uncut gems in the raw materials room had already been sorted out according to type, weight, color, clarity, etc.—and the designer could very quickly just zero in on the appropriate gems according to their designs—Wen Xinya still carried out a very meticulous selection process.
The reporter was very curious about Wen Xinya’s actions. “Miss Wen, the uncut gems have already been sorted out by type, weight, color, and clarity—and all the gems in this section fit your criteria. However, you are still scrutinizing each stone so carefully. Is there any meaning behind this?”
Wen Xinya was just holding up a red ruby and using a magnifying glass to scrutinize it. “There’s no particular meaning, I just want to pick out the gems that best suit my purpose. My teacher Ji Shihan told me that every gem is different. Even when the weight, clarity, and color are similar, each stone holds its own unique allure. What I am doing now is to select those which hold the most allure to me, and would best represent my designs.”
It was compulsory for all jewelry designers to learn about all the different types of gems. However, Teacher Ji Shihan was exceptionally strict on this. Having spent three years with Teacher Ji Shihan, she had yet to complete her studies on all the various types of gems.
Wen Xinya spent a full two hours before finally picking out the gems required for her creations.
Next would be the reshaping of the uncut gems, which included cutting, grinding, polishing…
“For this red ruby, it needs to be reshaped into a 12-facet diamond cut, which will make the jewel more lustrous and shiny.” With that, Wen Xinya personally demonstrated the process. Although her skill was not as good as that of the professional craftsmen, there was a kind of beauty and understanding to her actions.
Wen Xinya personally carried out the various works required to reshape the uncut gems, exchanging knowledge and pointers with the craftsmen. Wen Xinya’s professionalism throughout the entire process shocked both the craftsmen and the reporters.
The reporter couldn’t resist commenting, “Miss Wen, not only are you an outstanding jewelry designer, but you also know how to craft uncut gems. You are just too astonishing for words.”
“My mother Mo Yunyao is a famous jewelry designer and also an exceptionally talented master crafter. In the notebook she left behind for me, she wrote that to truly capture the most brilliant soul of a design, one must first grasp the process that transforms the mineral rocks into jewels. That dazzling and amazing transformation.”
From the time she returned to the Wen Family, she had been conducting self-learning on jewelry design and crafting. The master craftsman notebook which Xu Zhenyu had gotten for her from Myanmar allowed her to gain a unique understanding of jewelry crafting. This was her most precious resource.
The reporter was astounded. “The great Mo Yunyao is also a talented jewelry crafter, oh I can hardly believe my own ears. I trust that everyone who is watching this recording will feel the same shock as I do now. Truly… the achievements of every successful person did not come just by chance. Behind it all lies a lot of hard work and sacrifice, as well as a never-ending and tireless search for more knowledge. This is the main reason for their success.”
The reporter couldn’t help sighing in admiration as he gazed at Wen Xinya with renewed respect.
Having done numerous reports on jewelry, he knew better than anyone else the difficulties of crafting. There were so many different types of gems and each required its own unique method of crafting. Many veteran master craftsmen had put in a lifetime of hard work and perseverance to hone their skills to that high level. One would have to pour in a lot of effort just to learn and gain a basic understanding of the craft.
Wen Xinya was just 21 years of age.
To be able to attain such a skill level at just 21 years old, and shine brightly on the world stage with her exceptional jewelry designs, she was truly deserving of her reputation.
Wen Xinya smiled. “My mother is a legend in the world of jewelry design. However, her journey was a fleeting one and as her daughter, I hope to continue my mother’s legacy, to continue her journey in the endless pursuit and exploration of jewelry design.”
Crafting was Wen Xinya’s biggest advantage in this competition.
The judges, audience, and competitors all felt that her creations were not as marketable as Jacqueline Madan’s. Many were looking forward to the next round, the presentation of the physical product. They were just waiting to see Jacqueline Madan surpass Wen Xinya—this highly-regarded, hot favorite competitor—to emerge the eventual winner.
But they were destined to be disappointed.
The reporter said in all sincerity, “I believe that you will definitely succeed.”
Wen Xinya’s performance during the crafting process today had everyone stunned. He believed that all who watched this recording would feel the same way.
Wen Xinya responded warmly. “Thank you!”
Jacqueline Madan was right. Compared to just a design on paper, there were many more things that a physical creation could convey, including marketability.
In order to surpass herself in the grand finals and create a wave, she had indeed played down the marketability of her designs. She wanted to completely shake up her audience and did not want anyone to be influenced by her earlier “red color” series.
However, this did not mean that her designs had no commercial appeal at all. It was during the crafting of the physical product when the marketability of the creation would truly emerge.
What Wen Xinya wanted to do now was to infuse the quality of marketability into her creations through the crafting process.
As Wen Xinya was well-versed in crafting, she could communicate much easier with the professional craftsmen and the Ring of Athena was completed that very afternoon.
The craftsman who specialized in inlaying began the inlaying work according to the design, with Wen Xinya assisting him. As she was very professional and good with people, she and the craftsman enjoyed their interaction very much. They even started a serious discussion on the intricacies of inlaying work.
The reporter was once again dumbstruck!
An inlay craftsman relied on his skill for livelihood and the art was usually only passed on to those within the family. It could be seen just how highly this master inlay craftsman regarded Wen Xinya.
