Born in 1928, Ado Chale is a Belgian artist and designer who is best known for using different materials such as wood and minerals, coated with resin to form opulent surfaces. First trained in ironwork and with a keen interest in mineralogy from the late 1950s, he opened a gallery in 1962 with his wife, a gemologist. At first he focused on jewellery but during this period he also created his first inlaid tabletops using fragments of pyrite collects ed on the northern coast of France. Following his travels around the world in search of semi-precious stones and upon working with resin, he created his first cast bronze and aluminium ‘goutte d’eau’ tables, which were originally inspired by pre-Colombian culture. With particular recognition in France and Japan as well as exhibitions around the world, his work enjoys great success and continues to be increasingly sought after today.