Singapore men shop for gems too, but they look for stones with stories
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Singapore men shop for gems too, but they look for stones with stories
What practise men want when information technology comes to jewellery and precious gems? Unique and rare stones with stories, says Emily Tan, Founder of Calla Lily Fine Jewellers.
Emily Tan, founder and creative lead of fine bespoke jeweller Calla Lily Fine Jewellers. (Photograph: Aik Chen)
07 Jan 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 21 May 2022 02:32PM)
Gentlemen, you really don't need to keep your beloved for candy-coloured gems hole-and-corner any longer.
Co-ordinate to Emily Tan, founder and creative lead of fine bespoke jeweller Calla Lily Fine Jewellers, some men go just as crazy for gemstones as women do.
"When they autumn in love with a gemstone, they need to take information technology, they need to ain it," said Tan, speaking with CNA Luxury in her beautiful by-appointment-but ground floor exhibit in Tiong Bahru designed by Parable Studio.
But the Penang-built-in graduate gemologist of the Gemological Plant of America (GIA), who as well has a degree from the London College of Fashion and has worked in Singapore's fine bespoke jewellery scene since 2011, has observed a much different buying pattern with men compared to women.
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While men may honey their gems, they're not necessarily big on wearing them equally jewellery.
"Men similar to collect gemstones mainly because of their properties and and then they slowly retrieve about [setting them in a] design," she said.
They tend to be fatigued to stones that are unique and rare – and to those with symbolic meaning.
"Men buy for rarity and the interesting inclusions the gemstones have. A lot of people think inclusions in gemstones equates to a gemstone that's not very good. Only actually, the kind of inclusions within the gemstone that cause phenomena like asterism may get in more valuable and sought-after," she observed.
"For fine silk inclusions, they have to grow in unlike directions in a particular geometric germination. In that location are even formulas to information technology," Tan explained, as she picked up a pink morganite to illustrate how all half dozen rays are evenly distributed inside the stone, creating a cute starburst effect as information technology catches the light just right.
Sitting pretty in the tray before us is a dazzling display of royal blue sapphires, neon-orange mandarin garnets, brilliant-green emeralds, and deep-blue and mint tourmalines of varying degrees of clarity and carat, mostly sourced from Brazil, Columbia, Myanmar or Tanzania.
These precious gems are fashioned – with Calla Lily'south inventiveness paired with the artisanal finesse of craftsmen in Singapore and Hong Kong – into playful, often modular creations in platinum or gilt for which the year-old business organization is known, priced from Due south$2,000 to S$200,000, depending on the rarity of the stones used, and how elaborate or complex the design.
Male customers make upwardly only about v per cent of their clientele but Tan hopes this volition rise as men go more adventurous in style.
"Getting men to wear a gemstone is already quite tough. You need to take that natural allure to enjoy adorning yourself. Some men exercise, some men don't. Men used to beautify themselves in jewellery but because of how times accept inverse, they've become more than conservative," she noted.
When they are willing to experiment, however, men tend to naught in on opals.
"The commencement stone they collect is usually an opal, considering opals are very unusual gemstones with an unusual play of colour. It'due south fascinating for them to come across a piece of stone that comes out of the globe displaying so many colours of the rainbow. And when information technology gets wet, the play of colours changes or intensifies," said Tan, who spent 10 years abroad working under the tutelage of Jimmy Choo in London, Marni in Milan and Kara Ross in New York.
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STONES WITH STORIES
Guys also like stones with interesting stories and those that signify something, Tan believes.
She shows me a sketch of a ring with a charming backstory, which she, together with designer Anita Shewchuck, designed for a male customer from Ireland. It was inscribed with ogham lettering; the early medieval alphabet used in archaic Irish language.
"He wanted to engrave his fiance's name but non in literal words, then we had to report this special alphabet and include it in the blueprint," she shared.
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Are at that place whatever colours that guys should steer clear of, though? Like, say, a pink morganite?
"No. If you dear it, go for it. If you dear pink, you should go for pinkish," came her swift reply. "Red, for instance, is a colour you either dearest or y'all feel you're not able to carry off because information technology'southward such a striking colour. Then it's really down to personal preference."
Where should a guy begin should they want to create a bespoke piece of jewellery for themselves?
"First, we determine if it'southward gold work they're looking for, or is it something with a gemstone. If it's something with a gemstone, we let them try on all the different shades and see what speaks to them; what they're attracted to and how it looks against their skin tone," offered Tan.
And, "always choose a design that suits your personality and lifestyle," she advised.
Tan is currently looking into developing a men's jewellery line, following Calla Lily's first ready-to-wear sheathing collection of earrings, rings and neckpieces, Bloom, launched recently.
If she could merely figure out what guys would exist happy to wear… "Hopefully we can create a collection with infant pink stones in a really cool design."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/singapore-men-jewellery-buying-habits-177086
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