Silver Jewelry Design · 2026
The Wisdom of Balance Necklace
- A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Jewelry Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 33,778
- Verification code 37DA447250 · Verify this award
About The Wisdom of Balance Necklace
This necklace offers a meaningful return to jewelry's core, going beyond luxury symbols to focus on comfort, health and cultural identity. It features an innovative rear counterbalance structure that supports healthy ergonomics, reduces strain, and allows the wearer to carry themselves with natural poise and confidence. It embodies cultural depth and personal identity: the round and square signifying the Eastern wisdom of balancing flexibility and integrity. This work is a powerful example of jewelry that honors the body, enriches the spirit, and connects people to stories of their heritage.
Drawing upon traditions of adornment that span millennia and cultures, this necklace exemplifies the contemporary jewelry designer's capacity to synthesize disparate material vocabularies into coherent aesthetic statements that honor heritage while asserting individual creative vision. XU Jiawen Karmen demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how natural materials—stone, mineral, wood, and metal—carry inherent symbolic weight that amplifies when brought into deliberate relationship with one another. The central pendant commands attention through its marriage of geometric absolutes: the square, traditionally associated across cultures with earthly stability, material existence, and the four cardinal directions, contains within it the perfect circle, universal symbol of wholeness, eternity, and celestial perfection. This squaring of the circle, an ancient philosophical and alchemical ideal, suggests the reconciliation of opposing principles—matter and spirit, finite and infinite, earthly and divine. The material selection reveals equal thoughtfulness, with the agate's warm translucency evoking fire, vitality, and transformative energy while the turquoise beads introduce cooling, protective, and sky-associated qualities honored in traditions worldwide. The brass cylindrical element mediates between these poles, its horizontal banding perhaps suggesting accumulated wisdom or the stratified layers of experience. The lotus-inspired decorative bead carries profound significance within contemplative traditions as a symbol of spiritual unfolding, purity emerging from muddy waters, and enlightenment achieved through dedicated practice. The necklace's title itself, The Wisdom of Balance, provides interpretive guidance, inviting consideration of equilibrium as both aesthetic principle and philosophical ideal. The work suggests that adornment at its highest expression serves not merely decorative purposes but functions as portable meditation, a wearable reminder of aspirations toward centered, harmonious existence. Viewers might contemplate how the interplay of complementary colors, contrasting materials, and geometric forms embodies principles of balance they seek in their own lives.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- In an era where jewelry design often prioritizes aesthetics over wearability, The Balance of Wisdom pioneers a paradigm shift by integrating ergonomic innovation with cultural depth. This pendant necklace features a revolutionary rear counterbalance system that redistributes the weight of the front pendant, significantly reducing cervical strain and enhancing long-term comfort. By alleviating the physical burden, the design allows the wearer to move with effortless grace, embodying a poised and confident demeanor. This innovative approach reaffirms that jewelry’s true value lies in its ability to enhance, rather than burden, the human experience—honoring the body while enriching the spirit.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Front: 43cm in length, 145g in weight (beads and front pendant)
Back: 27cm in length, 94g in weight (beads and rear pendant)
Front pendant size: 4x4x2.5cm
Rear pendant size: 7x9x2.5cm - Tags
- Counterbalance Pendant Necklace, Ergonomic Jewelry, Cultural Heritage Design, Middle Way Philosophy
- Production Technology
- Crafted from a curated selection of Nanhong agate, turquoise, and agarwood, the necklace features a striking red jade Cong pendant at the front—an ancient ritual vessel historically used to connect heaven and earth. This is paired with an old multi-hole Tibetan Dzi bead at the back, creating a dialogue between ancient craftsmanship and modern design sensibilities.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge was achieving the precise weight balance between the front and rear pendants. Through iterative testing of over 12 different weight and length configurations, the design was refined to ensure optimal comfort and posture support without compromising aesthetic impact. Furthermore, in a luxury market often defined by excess, this project sought to redefine jewelry’s purpose: to create objects that honor the body, enrich the spirit, and connect us to the stories that define us. This required a deliberate rejection of superficial opulence in favor of intentionality and meaning.
- Project Duration
- 1 month, Hong Kong
- Operation Flow
- The rear pendant acts as a precise counterweight, carefully calibrated to offset the front pendant’s mass. Through rigorous testing of various weight and length configurations, the design achieves a perfect equilibrium: the front section (145g, 43cm) and rear section (94g, 27cm) work in harmony to promote a naturally healthy posture. This meticulous attention to ergonomics not only conforms to the body’s needs but also exudes a dignified, ancient beauty, creating a seamless fusion of function and form.
- Research
- The jade Cong pendant is a cube of red agate with a round hollow, drawing from the ancient Chinese cosmology of “round sky and square ground.” Historically, Cong were vital ritual objects symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth, and markers of nobility and authority. In this design, the juxtaposition of square and circle becomes a modern metaphor for the Eastern wisdom of balancing flexibility and integrity—qualities essential for sustainable relationships and personal well-being. This philosophical underpinning is mirrored in the counterbalance structure, which is engineered to support physical health, creating a holistic design that nurtures both body and spirit.
- Inspiration
- Rooted in the ancient Chinese philosophy of the “Middle Way,” The Balance of Wisdom reinterprets the wisdom of balance as a living practice, not an abstract concept. This necklace embodies the ideal of navigating life with both flexibility (symbolized by the circle) and integrity (symbolized by the square). The front pendant, a jade Cong, vividly materializes this duality—its square outer form and round inner hollow echoing the cosmology of “round heaven, square earth.” The rear counterbalance design is not merely a technical solution but a tangible practice of this philosophy, ensuring the wearer carries themselves with natural poise, free from the physical burden of traditional heavy pendants. This design redefines adornment as a vessel for cultural resonance and personal identity, moving beyond mere symbols of wealth to become a quiet assertion of wisdom and intentionality.
- Image Credits
- Image/Photo/Video: Xu Jiawen Karmen
Sound: Ao Ri Ge Le
Model: Xu Jiawen Karmen
Colors of The Wisdom of Balance Necklace
Design Interview about The Wisdom of Balance Necklace
The main principle is balance as a living practice – not an abstract concept. Inspired by the ancient Chinese philosophy of the "Middle Way", the design translates the wisdom of navigating life with both flexibility (symbolised by the circle) and integrity (symbolised by the square) into a wearable object. The front pendant is a jade Cong – a square ritual vessel with a round hollow – embodying the cosmology of "round heaven, square earth". The rear counterbalance is not merely technical; it is the physical manifestation of this philosophy, allowing the wearer to carry themselves with natural poise, free from the physical burden of traditional heavy pendants.
My main focus was ergonomic comfort integrated with symbolic depth. I wanted to achieve a necklace that honors the body while enriching the spirit – something rarely found in luxury jewellery, which often prioritizes aesthetics over wearability. Specifically, I wanted to solve the problem of cervical strain caused by heavy traditional pendants. The result is a necklace that promotes naturally healthy posture without compromising visual beauty or cultural meaning.
I plan to expand The Balance of Wisdom into a small collection of "Contemplative Wearables" – jewellery that serves as a daily anchor for mindfulness, physical ease, and cultural continuity. I am working on a booklet to accompany the design piece explaining the Middle Way philosophy. Finally, I intend to use this award to advocate for ergonomic jewellery as a new category within the industry.
I decided to pursue a personal inspiration rooted in my own experience. As a daily jewellery wearer and a long‑time meditator, I noticed that many beautiful necklaces caused neck and shoulder fatigue by the end of the day. I asked myself: why must cultural jewellery be heavy and uncomfortable? Why can't a meaningful object also be ergonomic? This question led me to the counterbalance solution. The Middle Way philosophy – balance between extremes – naturally emerged as the conceptual framework. So the design came from a genuine need, both physical and philosophical.
Two things made me design this type of work. First, my personal experience of neck strain from wearing traditional jade pendants. I wanted to wear meaningful cultural jewellery without pain. Second, my observation that the luxury jewellery market lacks designs that genuinely care for the wearer's body. Most "statement pieces" are heavy, unbalanced, and uncomfortable. I saw an opportunity to create a new category: ergonomic cultural jewellery. The Balance of Wisdom is my answer to that gap – a piece that serves both body and spirit, honoring ancient wisdom through structural innovation rather than decorative excess.
The primary influence was the ancient Chinese ritual objects – specifically the jade Cong of the ancient Chinese culture. Its square exterior and circular hollow embody the cosmology of "round heaven, square earth". I also drew inspiration from traditional Tibetan Dzi beads, which carry multi-hole structures and centuries of spiritual use. Among contemporary designers, I respect those who prioritize ergonomics and cultural depth over ornamentation, "design dissolving into behavior". However, The Balance of Wisdom is ultimately shaped by my own meditation practice and the need for physical ease.
The target customer is the globally minded, cross‑culturally educated elites – typically women aged 30–50 who work in international environments (architecture, curation, brand leadership, academia). They value quiet elegance, cultural authenticity, and physical well‑being. They own luxury goods but are tired of heavy, uncomfortable "statement pieces". They seek jewellery that honors their body (ergonomics) and their mind (cultural depth). They travel frequently, so a single necklace that works for business, ceremonies, and daily life – without causing neck strain – is essential.
What sets The Balance of Wisdom apart is the integration of an ergonomic counterbalance system with authentic cultural philosophy – not as decoration, but as structural logic. Most "cultural jewellery" applies symbols superficially (a coin, a character, an icon) without changing how the piece wears. Here, the rear counterbalance is both a functional solution (reducing cervical strain from 145g front weight) and a philosophical manifestation of the Middle Way: balancing flexibility and integrity, front and back, giving and receiving. This design piece offers this dual integrity – measurable comfort improvement plus a coherent cultural narrative embedded in the structure itself.
The name The Balance of Wisdom came from the core idea of the Middle Way – an ancient Chinese philosophy that teaches navigating life between extremes, with both flexibility (circle) and integrity (square). The "balance" refers to three things: physical balance (the rear counterweight offsets the front pendant), philosophical balance (the harmony of opposing forces), and spiritual balance (the wearer's posture and presence). "Wisdom" is not intellectual knowledge but lived wisdom – the kind that comes from practice, from meditation, from carrying oneself with quiet confidence. The name invites the wearer to embody balance, not just wear a pretty object.
The most unique aspect is the rear counterbalance is also a culturally meaningful rear pendant. It serves three purposes: (1) physical counterweight to the 145g front jade Cong, (2) a second focal point that creates visual balance from the back, and (3) a conversation piece – when someone sees the necklace from behind, they ask "What is that bead?" and a dialogue about Tibetan craftsmanship, multi‑hole symbolism, and spiritual protection begins. A functional counterweight is at the same time a cultural protagonist.
I decided to submit to A' Design Award because I wanted validation from an international jury that understands both design excellence and cultural depth. Many competitions focus only on aesthetics or commercial potential; A' Design Award's judging criteria include innovation, functionality, and social responsibility – which align perfectly with my values. Additionally, winning an A' Award would help me advocate for ergonomic jewellery as a new category and inspire other designers to prioritise wearer health over ornamental excess. After receiving positive feedback from physiotherapists and cultural historians, I felt confident that The Balance of Wisdom had a unique story worth sharing globally.
I learned that true innovation often comes from constraints – the constraint of neck pain, the constraint of heavy traditional pendants, the constraint of finding a historically authentic material. Instead of fighting these limits, I leaned into them, and they led me to the counterbalance solution. I also improved my collaboration skills with artisans – learning to communicate weight ratios, ergonomic goals, and philosophical intentions without using technical jargon. Finally, I deepened my understanding of how philosophy becomes structure: the Middle Way is not a slogan to print on a box; it is an engineering principle of equilibrium. This insight now guides all my future projects.
I would like to add that The Balance of Wisdom is part of a larger design philosophy I am developing: "Contemplative Wearables" – jewellery that serves as a daily anchor for mindfulness, physical ease, and cultural continuity. The necklace's rear counterbalance is not just about weight; it is about rebalancing attention – forward to the world, backward to one's own centre. I also want to acknowledge that the model in the photos is myself. Wearing my own designs for two weeks before finalising them is my standard practice – because I need to feel what the wearer feels. Finally, I am grateful to the A' Design Award for giving designers a platform to talk about meaning, not just form.
Grand Interview about The Wisdom of Balance Necklace
The recognition came gradually, not in a single flash. I had been wearing traditional jade pendants for years, and I loved their cultural weight—but I also literally felt their physical weight pulling my neck forward. I wanted to solve that problem. I started with a purely ergonomic question: how can I redistribute this weight so the necklace stays balanced on my shoulders?But as I tested prototypes—adjusting weights, moving beads forward and backward—I realised that the act of balancing was itself the philosophy. The Middle Way is not an abstract concept; it is the practice of finding equilibrium between two extremes. In this necklace, the front pendant and the rear counterweight are in constant dialogue. Neither dominates. They hold each other in balance.That realisation shaped everything. The Cong pendant became the visual anchor—square outside, round inside, embodying flexibility and integrity. The Dzi bead at the back became more than a counterweight; it became a second focal point, a conversation piece. Every decision—weight distribution, material selection, visual proportion—was guided by this single principle: balance as a living practice. The design decisions were no longer technical; they were philosophical. And that made the work feel coherent, whole.
This necklace offers a model by demonstrating that cultural jewellery does not have to be painful. Too often, the jewellery industry assumes that beauty and comfort are mutually exclusive—that a piece must be heavy to be significant, or that weight equals value. I reject that entirely.The rear counterbalance is a simple mechanical idea, but its application here is radical: it redistributes weight so the wearer can stand naturally, move freely, and forget they are wearing the necklace at all. That is what jewellery should do—serve the body, not burden it.I hope this approach inspires wearers to demand more from their jewellery: not just meaning, but comfort. And I hope it encourages designers to see ergonomics not as a constraint but as an opportunity. Comfort is not a concession; it is a form of respect. When we design for the body, we are designing for the whole person—their health, their posture, their confidence. That is a far richer design brief than "make it look beautiful."
Every material in this necklace was chosen for three reasons: cultural resonance, visual harmony, and physical function.The red jade Cong pendant is the visual and conceptual anchor. The Cong is one of the oldest ritual vessel forms in Chinese civilization—a symbol of the connection between heaven and earth. Its square outer form and round inner hollow embody the duality of flexibility and integrity. But I also chose it because of its weight: it provided the mass needed for the front section, which the rear counterbalance would offset.The Nanhong agate, turquoise, and agarwood create a warm, earthy colour palette that feels ancient and grounded. They are not just decorative; they carry their own histories of use and significance in Chinese and Tibetan traditions.The Tibetan Dzi bead at the back serves a dual purpose—it is the counterweight, and it is also a cultural protagonist. When someone sees it from behind and asks, "What is that bead?" a conversation about spiritual protection, multi-hole symbolism, and Tibetan craftsmanship begins. It turns a technical solution into a cultural signature.Ancient craftsmanship informed this design not through imitation, but through inspiration. The Cong was historically a tool for ritual communication with heaven. I wanted to preserve that sense of connection—but now, the communication is between the wearer and their own body, between ancient wisdom and modern ergonomics.
This award affirms what I believe is the future of jewellery design: that a piece can be both deeply meaningful and genuinely comfortable. The A' Design Award criteria—wearability and cultural relevance—are not separate categories. They are the same conversation.The Wisdom of Balance advances this dialogue by proving that cultural heritage does not have to be presented in a heavy, burdensome form. The philosophy of the Middle Way is embedded in the structure itself—not as a decorative motif, but as a functional principle. The wearer experiences balance not intellectually, but physically.This is the responsibility of jewellery to the wearer: to honour the body while enriching the spirit. The wearer should not have to choose between tradition and comfort. A necklace that causes pain is not truly honouring its heritage—it is imposing a burden. By integrating ergonomic innovation with cultural depth, The Wisdom of Balance offers a model for how jewellery can serve both the person and their heritage, without compromise.
The most pivotal moment came when I was testing a configuration with a rear weight of around 70 grams. It was close—but not close enough. The necklace still pulled forward slightly, just a few degrees. I wore it for a day, and by the evening, my neck was tired.I realised that balance is not a linear equation. It is not just about matching numbers; it is about how weight feels in motion. When I finally landed on the 145g front and 94g rear configuration, I wore it for two days. On the third day, I forgot I was wearing it. That was the moment I understood that physical balance and philosophical intention are the same thing: when something is truly in equilibrium, it becomes invisible. It disappears into the background of life.That experience taught me that designing with genuine purpose means designing for the user's absence—creating something so well-fitted that the user forgets the object and simply experiences the effect. The purpose is not to make a statement; it is to serve.
The challenge was to make the philosophy felt rather than explained. I did not want to create a necklace that required a glossary. I wanted the wearer to experience the effect of balance—to feel their shoulders relax, their neck align, their posture improve—before they ever asked why.The Cong pendant is a form that carries thousands of years of meaning, but its visual language is universal: square and circle, earth and heaven, structure and openness. Even without knowing the history, a viewer senses that this is not a generic shape. It has weight, presence, intention.I also included the Dzi bead at the back, which adds a layer of mystery. It asks a question—"What is that?"—and that question becomes the entry point. The conversation that follows can be as deep or as light as the wearer wishes. Some people want the full cultural explanation; others simply appreciate the beauty of the form and the comfort of the fit.The piece does not demand that you understand its philosophy to appreciate it. But if you are curious, it is generous enough to offer a story.
I plan to build upon this work by expanding it into a Contemplative Wearables collection—jewellery that serves as a daily anchor for mindfulness, physical ease, and cultural continuity.Each piece in this collection will carry the same principles: ergonomic integrity, cultural coherence, and material authenticity. I am exploring modular systems where components can be reconfigured for different occasions, reducing waste and encouraging long-term use. I am also collaborating with museums and cultural institutions to create limited editions that tell stories of ancient Eastern wisdom through contemporary form.I see the conversation around culturally grounded, ergonomically considered jewellery evolving in three directions:1. Wearability as a standard—Consumers will expect jewellery to be comfortable, not just beautiful.2. Cultural authenticity over superficial symbolism—Designers will move beyond borrowing motifs to embedding philosophy in structure.3. Sustainability as a holistic practice—Longevity and repairability will become as important as materials.The future of jewellery is not louder, heavier, or more decorative. It is quieter, lighter, and more purposeful.
I hope they take away three things.First, that ancient wisdom is not museum-bound. The Middle Way, the philosophy of balance, is not a historical artifact—it is a living practice that can be worn, felt, and experienced in daily life.Second, that design can serve the body without losing meaning. A piece of jewellery can be comfortable, ergonomic, and culturally rich. These are not competing goals. They reinforce each other.Third, that Eastern design deserves a global platform. Too often, work rooted in Chinese or Asian traditions is seen as "ethnic" or "niche." This award shows that these philosophies and aesthetics are universal—they speak to the human condition, not just a specific culture.I hope designers feel encouraged to explore their own cultural roots with rigor. I hope collectors see value not just in rarity or materials, but in thoughtfulness and intention. And I hope wearers feel that this piece was made for them—not as a status symbol, but as a companion.
The dialogue is not a compromise; it is the point. I did not want to simply revive an ancient form—I wanted to activate it. The Cong was originally a tool for connecting heaven and earth. I asked: what does that connection mean today? For me, it means connecting the wearer to their own body, their own posture, their own presence.The counterbalance system is a modern innovation, but it serves the same purpose as the Cong's original function: alignment. The Cong aligned the wearer with cosmic order; the counterbalance aligns the wearer with physical health. The form is ancient; the solution is contemporary. Together, they honour the past while solving a present problem.To place something as historically charged as a Cong in a structural relationship with a contemporary design innovation feels like stewardship. I am not appropriating a tradition; I am continuing it. The Cong was never static—it evolved over thousands of years. This is just another chapter in that evolution.
I want them to understand that the tension between beauty and wellbeing is a false one. It is a convention of the industry—not a law of physics. Beauty and comfort can coexist, and when they do, the result is more powerful than either alone.This design challenges that assumption by proving that a necklace can be culturally rich, visually striking, and physically supportive. The rear counterbalance is not a hidden compromise—it is a visible intention. It says: I care about your body as much as I care about your heritage.For the next generation of designers, this opens a world of possibilities. It means they do not have to choose between meaning and function. They can design for posture, for breath, for mindfulness. They can create objects that are not just worn, but lived in. Personal adornment can become personal wellbeing.The future of jewellery is not about adding more—more weight, more decoration, more status. It is about shedding what does not serve us. The Wisdom of Balance is a beginning, not an ending. I hope it inspires others to ask: What else can jewellery do for the person wearing it?