Born in Hong Kong in 1961, Richard Tang’s artistic style was heavily influenced by the political landscape to which his family was exposed. His lineage can be traced to Canton in the People’s Republic of China. After the conclusion of the Chinese Revolution in 1949, his family moved to Hong Kong. The generations before him were crafters of fine jewelry, so it was a natural progression for Tang to learn the craft as well. His father was a jewelry educator, with a heavy focus on manipulating precious metals, while his uncle was an expert in carving jade. A love of travel led him to explore Europe and China extensively throughout the 1980s. In 1992 he made the decision to leave Hong Kong permanently, first moving to New York, where he studied at the Jewelry Art Institute, and then finally settling in Santa Fe, NM.

Tang often incorporates unique antique pieces he unearths while traveling, gravitating towards carved jade and ancient coins. He allows the antiques to inform the final design, often with a distinctive and classic Chinese influence. With a preference to craft his pieces out of 22k gold and silver, he then adds accents of gemstones, leather, and enamel. Most well-known for his masterful use of granulation, he meticulously solders hundreds of individual gold beads into intricate patterns.