We started Cinnabar Tea with a simple idea: bring extraordinary Chinese red tea to people who care about what’s in their cup. But as our community grew, we noticed something unexpected. People weren’t just drinking the tea — they were keeping the embroideries.

Framing them. Displaying them. Collecting them.

So we decided to make the collection experience intentional. Today, we’re proud to introduce the Cinnabar Tea Collector’s Club — a structured way to collect our hand-stitched embroideries, track your progress, and unlock exclusive rewards along the way.

How It Works

The concept is simple: every time you order tea from Cinnabar Tea, you receive a complimentary hand-stitched Suzhou embroidery. Over time, these embroideries build into a collection. And as your collection grows, you unlock rewards.

Step 1: Shop Any Tea

Choose from our collection of premium Chinese red teas — Dian Hong, Keemun, Unsmoked Lapsang Souchong, or Jin Jun Mei. Every order, no matter the size, includes a complimentary embroidery piece.

If you order the Discovery Box, you’ll receive all four signature embroideries at once — the fastest way to begin your collection.

Step 2: Collect & Share

Each embroidery you receive is numbered and documented on your Collector’s Card. Share your growing collection with the community using #CinnabarTeaCollection on Instagram.

We love seeing how our collectors display their pieces — whether framed on a wall, arranged in a shadow box, or scattered across a tea table.

Step 3: Unlock Rewards

As your collection reaches milestones, you unlock exclusive gifts:

The Three Tiers

Bronze — $150 in purchases

You’ve completed the Signature Collection. Four teas, four embroideries, four origin stories. You’ve experienced the breadth of Chinese red tea culture.

Bronze Rewards:

  • Unlock a limited edition embroidery (not available to non-members)
  • Birthday surprise gift
  • Early access to seasonal teas

Silver — $500 in purchases

You’ve collected all 12 monthly editions. Over the course of a year, you’ve gathered a complete set of festival and seasonal designs — from the Chinese New Year Dragon to the Christmas Chinese Red.

Silver Rewards:

  • Unlock an annual embroidery scroll artwork
  • Priority purchase on limited editions (you see them before anyone else)
  • Free express shipping on all orders

Gold — $1,500 in purchases

You’ve reached the pinnacle. With 24+ pieces in your collection, you hold what is essentially a personal museum of Chinese embroidery art.

Gold Rewards:

  • Commission a private custom embroidery — your own design, stitched by our master artisans
  • Dedicated concierge service
  • Preview access to upcoming seasonal releases

A Story from a Collector

Sarah M. from Portland, Oregon, was one of our earliest customers. She started with the Discovery Box as a birthday gift for her mother. “My mom had never tried loose leaf Chinese tea before,” Sarah told us. “She was blown away. And the embroideries — she immediately wanted to collect them all.”

Within six months, Sarah and her mother had together accumulated 14 embroideries. They’ve started a tradition: every month, they order a new tea and add that month’s embroidery to their growing display. “It’s become our thing,” Sarah says. “We video call on the first Sunday of every month, brew the tea together, and hang the new piece.”

Stories like Sarah’s are exactly why we built the Collector’s Club. It’s not just about collecting objects — it’s about creating rituals, building connections, and deepening your relationship with Chinese tea culture.

The 24-Piece Collection

The complete collection spans three categories:

4 Signature Pieces — Each paired with one of our four teas, telling the origin story of that tea’s region.

12 Monthly Limited Editions — One unique design per month, celebrating Chinese festivals and seasons. Each limited to just 200 pieces.

  • January: Chinese New Year Dragon
  • February: Valentine’s Twin Lotus
  • March: Spring Tea Bud
  • April: Qingming Tea Mountain
  • May: Mother’s Day Carnation
  • June: Summer Lotus
  • July: Qixi Magpie Bridge
  • August: Mid-Autumn Jade Rabbit
  • September: Autumn Harvest
  • October: Halloween + Chinese Knot
  • November: Thanksgiving Turkey
  • December: Christmas Chinese Red

8 Special & Tier Exclusives — Reserved for dedicated collectors, including tier unlock pieces and rotating seasonal specials.

Your Collector’s Card

Every member receives a physical Collector’s Card — a premium keepsake that tracks your progress. The card features your unique member number, your current tier, and a 24-slot grid where each collected piece is documented.

It’s designed to be something you’re proud to keep — tucked into your tea box, pinned to a bulletin board, or displayed alongside your collection.

Why We Built This

We didn’t create the Collector’s Club to sell more tea. We created it because we saw our community naturally gravitating toward collection, and we wanted to honor that instinct.

Chinese culture has a long tradition of collecting — from tea ware to calligraphy to embroidered textiles. The Collector’s Club is our way of making that tradition accessible to tea lovers around the world.

Every piece in the collection tells a story. Every story connects to a place, a season, a festival, or a legend. And every collection is unique — shaped by the collector’s journey through tea.

Ready to Begin?

Your collection starts with a single cup. Shop any tea and receive your first embroidery — plus your Collector’s Card.

Learn more about the Collector’s Club and start building your collection today.