Hong Kong jewelry designer Michelle Ong gave hearty smiles when five Hollywood stars wore herunique style jewelry pieces at this year's Oscars awarding ceremony and claimed that the jewelry works came from a Hong Kong designer.

Michelle Ong said in an interview with Singtao Daily that she felt very excited when the popular Hollywood stars mentioned her name on the Oscars' red carpet.

Kate Winslet and Glenn Close and three other Hollywood stars wore Michelle Ong's designed works for this year's Oscars.

She went to the US for holding an individual jewelry design exhibition, which attracted a number of Hollywood stars.

Preferring to use diamond to set off female elegance, Ong's works, which usually indicate a "floating beauty," focus on different flowers.

For instance, the leave-style necklace comes from inspiration of leaves she saw when she traveled out, and a pair of extremely long hanging earrings in the shape of daffodils would impress people very much when it moves along with one's paces.

Though her jewelry pieces are sold at fixed high prices and by a limited volume, they are adored by many celebrities in Hong Kong and US.

She has been engaged in jewelry designing for almost 20 years and has gradually won international fame by adhering to her unique style.

She pursues arts rather than money and never follows styles of other designers.

Michelle Ong was born in a doctor's family in Hong Kong and married to a doctor from a rich family. Therefore, she does not have to worry about earning her bread.

Ong is a designer adhering to her own rules, as she neither accepts much money for imitating the designs of some international jewelry design masters at the requirement of rich ladies nor sells her works to anyone who does not suit her jewelry pieces well.

Though she has lost quite a amount of money for adhering to herself-made principle in the past 20 years, she all the more believes it is worthwhile in view of her fame today.

She said, "In the past almost everyone described me as a fool for having lost so much money, but now facts have proved that my choice is correct."

She said that she always emphasizes her Hong Kong origin wherever she goes in the world.

Ong travels to various countries every year to search for diamonds and other precious stones. She only designs her works when inspiration comes, and she would not sell any pieces she is not satisfied with herself. Meanwhile, she is also unwilling to sell her own "masterpieces," which explains why her works are always sold by a limited volume.

Her works are often described as classic pieces with elegance and lasting glamor. She often tells her customers that her works are by no means fashionable. Choosing a jewelry piece represents awoman's taste, not a chance for showing wealth, she says.

Wearing a precious and durable jewelry piece all the time is better than constantly changing pieces for different occasions, Michelle Ong suggests.

(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2005)