All that glitters in glorious gold accessories

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Gold has always had that special something.

Ancient Egyptians used it to represent their venerated sun god, Ra. Ancient Inca civilization highly valued it and even named it the "sweat of the sun".

The precious metal is also used to depict the sun or Yang element (silver is the moon or Yin element) in Chinese culture.

Many Chinese associate gold with the search for perpetual life, while other societies believed that it held healing properties for certain illnesses. It has also been a trusted investment for when hard times hit.

In its purest form, gold is soft and pliable. It is not damaged by air, heat or humidity, making it a valuable commodity. Gold has been as currency for over 5000 years and in the modern era, medicine and electronic industries, to name a few, use it for its durability.

Of course, its most famous association is as coveted jewelry, and Indonesian designers are attempting to make their mark abroad.

In 2000, the country produced 96 tons of gold jewelry and this year the figure is expected to increase to 105 tons. Its US$200 million in exports are destined for Europe, the United States, the Middle East, China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

Yet the figure is only 8.5 percent of Thailand's $1.7 billion export value in gold jewelry.

"This sector has survived the economic crisis and we can still further develop it," said the World Gold Council country manager for Indonesia, Leo Hadi Loe.

When looking for inspiration, most local jewelry designers continue to size up what works in European fashion. Trends for 2002 include the delicate ripples of ruffles, flowing movement of garments and traditional motifs.

The clear aim for gold jewelry makers is to make their products fashionable accessories, and this was what was showcased at the three-day 3rd Indonesia Jewelry Fair at Shangri-La hotel, Surabaya, last week.

Organized by the World Gold Council and with media invitees including The Jakarta Post, the fair presented latest jewelry from leading manufacturers and several gold retailers, such as PT Untung Bersama Sejahtera (UBS), PT King Halim Jewelry, Frank&Co, Gold Mart, PT Hartono Wira Tanik, Felice Jewelry and Pesona Jewelry.

UBS owner Untung Jahya said its flowing jewelry adopted motifs from European countries, especially Italy, as well as other parts of Asia, like Japan.

"Next year's trend is strongly influenced by the fashion industry. Our team explored Italian designs to cope with the latest fashion trends. Italy has been one of the world's trendsetters in the jewelry industry," Untung said.

He added that with the continuing political and economic uncertainties, many local jewelry manufacturers had to switch their target and focus more on designs that can penetrate the international market.

About 50 percent of its 18-carat jewelry is exported to the United States, and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

"For Indonesian customers, we produce smaller jewelry of two grams to ten grams, which are very popular," he added.

The company's exclusive products include a gold "scarf" with woven rattan motifs. Like a scarf, the 300-gram flowing jewel is worn around the shoulders. There is also a gold waistband, long gold strips for neck accessories and a long gold band, delicately flowing around the neck and also adorning the hips (illustrated).

"Gold jewelry should no longer be considered only as an investment, but also for its fashionable element, too," Untung added.

King Halim Jewelry highlighted the delicate ripples of lacy ruffles for its exclusive chokers and necklaces. It also produced slim gold waistbands, fine multilayered necklaces and luxurious gold-ornamented stilettos.

A member of the company's design team, Dewi Setiawati, explained the firm also focused on fashion-oriented designs for next year's trends.

Like UBS, the company's jewelry designs are heavily influenced by the European fashion industry, but they also incorporated traditional touches when designing its Pauline collection, which targets young customers.

"We had explored East and Central Java's traditional batik motifs and their vivid colors for our active and dynamic young customers," she said.

Both companies underlined the importance of combining modern technology and fine workmanship in creating elegant jewelry designs.

"Many of our products were manufactured by applying high tech and manual processing over many hours," she said, citing its Ball and Chain chokers and stilettos that required numerous workers to assemble the pieces.

Untung said Indonesia needed to focus on designs that combine high tech precision and fine workmanship so that the products can gain international appreciation.

"When it comes to high technology, we surely cannot compete with developed countries but we can add refinements, involving many skilled workers for details or assembling. Such products are highly valued in the U.S. and European countries because they don't have enough manpower to create them," he added.

A member of the senior management of leading Malaysian jewelry retailer Habib Jewels, Gary Joseph, said that Malay traditional designs that center around the tanjung and kerongsang flowers, the sunflower and jasmine have started to draw international customers.

"However, each country also has a trend of its own. Like in Brunei Darussalam, colorful gems are very popular, while Singaporeans and Malaysians in general prefer jewelry with simple designs and good quality diamonds," he said.

Tasaki Shinju's retail division manager Naoko Goto explained that the company focused more on pearl-based jewelry with platinum, yellow and white gold for its stylish necklaces, rings and earrings, which are much sought after in Japan.

"Those types of jewelry are also fashionable in Japan but gold jewelry will come back," she said.