There has been a long, storied history of people wearing jewellery, and the skill of jewellery crafting has been passed down from generation to generation. However, with the discovery of new technologies as well as the proliferation of the use of rare metals, modern jewellery has gradually evolved into a new facet. Among this evolution, the use of advanced titanium crafting methods to create jewellery pieces is at the centre of attention.

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Titanium has a weight that is merely a fifth that of gold, but its toughness and hardness is 15 times that of gold. Its unique lightness coupled with sturdiness meant that when used in jewellery design, the scale and the manner in which it is incorporated goes beyond one’s imagination; lively and flexible, it achieves a breakthrough when it comes to presentation compared to traditional metalworking. Not only that, the dense protective layer that titanium possesses gives it its ability to be lasting in any environment, as well as its hypoallergenic quality, helping to reduce chances of an allergic reaction — making it extremely comfortable even after long periods of wear.

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Since 1996, Aka Chen — art director of the titular AKACHEN — has been deeply captivated by the many excellent qualities offered by pure titanium, and devoted himself to research and development vis-a-vis the material. In 2007, AKACHEN officially released pure titanium jewellery, being among the first three workshops globally to formally adopt the use of patented titanium jewellery crafting techniques.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Crafting using pure titanium is a complex and difficult process; the biggest challenge lies in the fact that once there is even the slightest flaw, the entire crafting process would need to be restarted. While the melting point is at 1,700 to 1,800 degree Celsius, if titanium is heated at room temperature, it would disintegrate into powder. Be it setting, polishing, or casting, the difficulty level involved is many times that of traditional metalworking. Through constant research, Aka Chen’s unique titanium crafting technique allows the metal to not only be presented with a myriad of colours just like a rainbow, it is even able to depict the varying sheen of colour from the splatter of ink similar to what is seen in the works of Chinese painting maestro Chang Dai-chien.

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Besides an awe-inspiring display of colours, Chen goes even deeper in exploring the many carving methods that can be employed on titanium. As medical-grade titanium is used, Chen discovered after countless trial and error that only by using professional medical equipment can he accurately and assiduously carve out the desired effect. Taking the example of the acclaimed Butterfly series of works by Chen, in order to create the coloured scale effect seen on the bodies of butterflies, throughout the process of crafting the artisan’s steady hands as well as his flexibility and endurance all come into play — under high temperature, the metal would change in colour, and there is a need to constantly bring down the heat by placing the work under water as one carefully and slowly make the necessary carvings. Each wing is created by more than 10,000 tiny lines to produce an effect just like the patterns portrayed by woven silk threads; if there is a mistake in the process of carving the lines, the process starts all over again for the entire wing. Each layer of carving adds on to the butterfly’s coloured scale appearance, and the carefully carved thin lines under the microscope sparkle with an iridescence of light bouncing off countless tiny water beads.

 

​From using pure titanium to complement the colour, patterns, and the gradient changes of gemstones, using excellent craftsmanship to demonstrate the iridescence of a jewellery piece, to the recent creation akin to a sculpture, where each piece is crafted in a presentation style taking reference from installation art culminating in an interchangeable flower jewellery[2] , in the hands of Aka Chen pure titanium shall be transformed into a masterpiece that embodies within it a symbol of Eastern Zen and poetics, creating wider grounds for imagination when it comes to jewellery aesthetics. His unique creations have been part of the collection at the famed Victoria and Albert Museum — a witness to a new chapter in modern titanium artisanry and jewellery.​