Perth-based jewellery retailer, Rosendorff, is celebrating the Chinese Year of the Snake with the release of a limited edition diamond and ruby pendant.
Handcrafted from 18-carat white gold, the snake pendant sparkles with approximately 150 rubies and 35 diamonds and a retail price tag of $7880.
Rosendorff design and production manager Jens Kirsch said the inimitable piece was inspired by the energy and festivity of Chinese New Year as well as the excitement invoked by the Year of the Snake.
“The snake is the more intuitive, introspective and collected of all the animal signs in the Chinese zodiac,” he said.
“It is contemplative and private, and Chinese wisdom suggests a snake in the house is a good omen.
“Aside from its rich symbolism, the pendant is quite simply a highly covetable piece.”
Kirsch said the snake pendant has already attracted interest from an array of jewellery enthusiasts including current Miss World Yu Wenxia, who was born in the 1989 Year of the Snake.
However Rosendorff is not the only jewellery retailer or supplier to have recognised the increasing importance of the Chinese New Year in the local gift-buying calendar.
Several retailers have already reported increased sales of snake jewellery this year while jewellery brand Thomas Sabo releases jewellery inspired by the Chinese zodiac each year.
This year, the brand which is distributed locally by Duraflex Group Australia, has released three new snake pendants with matching earrings and a ring in its Glam & Soul collection and two new snake pendants, two matching rings and a leather bracelet in its Rebel at Heart collection.
Meanwhile, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Overseas Arrivals and Departures report shows that people from China more than tripled their visits to Australia in the last 10 years.
The report, released last week, found that “China went from 190,000 visits in 2002 to 630,000 in 2012”.
Other countries in Australia’s top ten visitors list include Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Hong Kong meaning Asian countries now make up seven of our top 10 source countries for short term visits to Australia.