The workshops we work with

THE WORKSHOPS WE WORK WITH

We don't make the pieces ourselves. ORIENTGEM is a small team that selects jewellery and small crafts from independent workshops in China, checks each one before it ships, and writes down what it is made of. The craft is theirs; the choosing and the checking are ours.

What the workshops make

  • Jade carving — cut and polished from natural stone, then finished by hand. The shape and the colour of the stone decide the piece.
  • Velvet flower (ronghua) — silk and wire shaped by hand into flowers, hairpins and ornaments — a craft only a small number of workshops still practise.
  • Thangka painting — Buddhist painting on cloth, made to fixed proportions and iconographic rules.
  • Silver work — sterling silver (925) with traditional Chinese motifs, filigree and hand finishing.

Pieces from these workshops are grouped together in the Makers collection, and each listing names the craft it comes from.

Hand-finished jade necklace
Jade carving — see the jade pieces
Velvet flower hairpin
Velvet flower — see the velvet flower pieces

How we choose

  • Finish and material first — how a piece is made and how it wears matter more to us than how quickly it can be produced.
  • Plain information — the material, dimensions and care for each piece are written on its listing.
  • Respect for where it comes from — the motifs, the materials and the techniques are the point, not decoration.
Hand-painted thangka pendant
Thangka painting — see the thangka pieces

What we check before a piece ships

  1. The piece is checked against its listing — material, finish and dimensions.
  2. Structural points are checked: settings, joins and clasps.
  3. It is packed with the care note, and with a certificate of authenticity where the listing says one is included.
Sterling silver earrings
Silver work — see the silver pieces

What we don't claim

  • We don't run these workshops, and we don't employ the makers. We buy from them as a customer.
  • We don't publish a workshop's wage policy or headcount, because neither is ours to publish.
  • We don't describe a piece as an investment, and we don't publish laboratory certificates on this site. What we do claim is written out on the Authenticity & Buying Confidence page.

Where we are

  • China: 10th Floor, XuSheng Building, GongHe Industry Road, Shenzhen, 518000
  • United Kingdom: OrientGem Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
  • Questions about a specific piece — support@orientgem.com. We reply within 24–48 hours.

Making times, delivery windows and return terms are on the Shipping, Return & Refund Policy and Trust & Security pages.

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