Visitors appreciate bracelets designed by Jean Schlumberger on show at the National Museum of China in Beijing through Sept 1.[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

He said every piece of work in Schlumberger's workshop was unique, insightful and original. They represented the beauty of movement－and some of them could actually move.

Schlumberger once said, "I try to make everything look as if it's growing, uneven, and organic. I want to capture the irregularity of the universe."

In his later years, Schlumberger returned to live in Paris, the city where his artistic dream was first nurtured, and the place where he later died.

Diana Vreeland, a longtime friend and noted fashion columnist, wrote that Schlumberger "appreciates the miracle of jewels. For him, they are the ways and means to the realization of his dreams".

The exhibition at the National Museum of China also shows 11 centuries-old Chinese accessories from the museum's collection. Wang Chunfa, the museum's director, says the aesthetics and philosophy of the ancient Chinese pieces echo with Schlumberger's modern designs, celebrating the value of jewelry both as cultural artifacts and art that retains a lingering charm.