National Treasure: 3 local demi-fine jewellery brands worth investing in

MOODD. (@moodd.jewellery)

Here to challenge and disrupt the fast fashion industry is Moodd. Dedicated to creating heirloom-worthy jewellery for conscious consumers, Mandy Chan and Leonie Leong opt to make gender-fluid pieces made of semi-precious and hypoallergenic metals: sterling silver, stainless steel and gold vermeil—the cornerstone of their brand. These treasures are carefully sourced from responsible vendors and rigorously tested to meet the highest ethical standards.

“Having spent close to a decade collaborating with the best independent jewellers, we work directly and frequently with them to craft jewellery that’s both refined and honestly priced. This sustainable relationship is the reason why our supply chain is efficient without compromising on aspirational design and accessible pricing,” says the design duo whose working partnership includes like-minded goldsmiths from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

An expression of who they are and what they value, each composition at Moodd. is injected with something that’s unique to Chan and Leong as individuals. The former, for instance, looks to the many cities she has travelled to and lived in as her source of inspiration when designing a collection. Meanwhile, the latter is heavily influenced by her own go-to looks— uncomplicated, polished and discreet with a few nonchalant touches—as well as the “quality over quantity” mantra.

Moodd.’s signature cubic zirconia series especially captures the essence of both women’s artistic inclinations. The collection highlights the synthesised material as an alternative to diamonds and does a spectacular job at it as every stone radiates blinding brilliance with impressive crystal clarity. Pairing it with contemporary designs, the neo-jewels shall elevate any given look whether one is dressing up or down, donning high fashion or high street ensembles.

Its inaugural collection of streamlined hoop earrings was a runaway success. Not only did it bring meticulously crafted bijouterie to the table, it also witnessed the working moms reinforcing the importance of family into the brand from the get-go as they named each hoop design after their kin. And just like those ear jewels, all demi-fine pieces that have been launched since are made of 925 sterling silver and finished with either 14k or 18k gold vermeil or rhodium.

“Our brand idea revolves around kinship, hence our brand name ‘Kin. It has always been about our kin— our families and friends, and our friendship. Our jewellery line will continue to grow as our brand evolves and as we evolve as women and mothers too. It is important to us that we only make jewellery that we ourselves would wear and are comfortable wearing, and for women alike,” says the dynamic twosome on the direction of the brand.

After nearly three years in business, ‘Kin has indeed evolved with the ever-growing number of covetable pieces it churns out. Athiya and Zaireen, through stages of research on the latest jewellery trends, draw different inspirations for different seasons and times. A good case in point would be the smaller and more practical Hoops and Huggies launched during the last Movement Control Order period, which are designed to be worn for running quick errands and Zoom meetings.

MYJN (@myjn_official)

When it comes to business partnerships, May and Jun are pretty much the perfect package. She brings with her invaluable insights from the fashion marketing standpoint and he comes with boots-on-the-ground experience having been involved in jewellery retailing since he was a teenager. These combined qualities are among the reasons why MYJN is at the top of the food chain as far as independent jewellery brands are concerned in the local scene.

But it wasn’t always “rainbows and butterflies”. When the two embarked on their venture, they could barely sustain the business with their niche designs—a necklace with over 300 hand-knit semi-precious irregular beads wasn’t exactly in fashion then. Refusing to give in, they put their heads together and eventually came up with the refreshed, more commercial MYJN that offers products using sustainable materials at reasonable prices.

“At that moment, May wanted to sell women’s accessories in gold vermeil. We had a good friend at the pop-up market who sold handmade silver rings, so we took inspiration from that and we created our brand selling gold vermeil or gold-layered sterling silver pieces,” says Jun as he retraces his steps to the early days of MYJN. He also adds that both he and May have always aimed to be one of a kind but could hardly find jewellery that they wanted anywhere.

Expanding its reach, MYJN then launched its first stainless steel pieces. And while neither May nor Jun had plans to push the range as their signature, the changing lifestyle from the Covid-19 pandemic had them increasing the production of the collection. The growing sanitisation and hygiene awareness with people washing their hands and showering frequently has made the waterproof designs more appealing to wearers as opposed to the moisture-sensitive vermeil.