Now, it's purple gold

Now, it's purple gold

Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post/Singapore

Back then, it was yellow and later on, it was white. And now
it comes in purple as gold now speaks of individuality with a
hint of glamor.

According to Billi Chen, Customer Service Assistant of Lee Hwa
Jewellery, which is presenting its stunning Purple Gold
collection at Singapore JewelFest 2005, purple gold is a unique
gold alloy, composed out of 80 percent pure gold and 20 percent
of other metal components.

Although purple gold has been around for many decades, he
added, it was, however, both porous and brittle -- not malleable
for jewellery making. Besides, he added, its color tended to be
uneven and its appearance blotchy as it reacted too readily with
other elements.

He said that the company's breakthrough was in finding a way
to produce purple gold that was strong yet soft enough to
withstand shaping into jewellery pieces and at the same time
being less reactive to contaminants.

Lee Hwa, he said, tapped into the fascination for this
previously difficult-to-find precious metal and has nurtured it
into jewellery that delights with its sensuous lines, giving
personality and spirit to each exquisite piece.

"Purple gold offers fresh and exciting possibilities, while at
the same time, it's a rare and unique collection," Chen told The
Jakarta Post.

Prices are another matter. A flowery-shaped Dulcet necklace,
is S$85,000 (US$53,125), or $60,000 for a Lavender Luxe necklace,
which is adorned with drops of purple gold. All of them set in
contrast with rows of precisely-cut diamonds.

"Lee Hwa Jewellery designs draw their inspiration from the
hottest trends in fashion and lifestyle," Chen said.

Besides Purple Gold, each of the pieces of exquisite jewelry
on display at the JewelFest offers a colorful spectrum of designs
to cater to the different style preferences of modern women.

Apart from design, gemologist and director of The Jewel Box,
Vinod Moore, saw a lot of input from customers in jewelry trends.

"It's like, I think more and more people want to go to a
tailor, they don't necessarily want to walk into a shop and buy
pret-a-porte," he told the Post.

He also saw that a lot of customers were becoming very
creative, coming up with their own design ideas. "Many customers
now have interesting concepts, and they want them to be reflected
not only in their clothes, but in their jewelry as well."

The Jewel Box, he said, openly welcomed the trend, even to the
extent of selling loose diamonds and colored precious stones to
help the customers design their own jewelry.

He found the trend posed no threat to the existence of jewelry
brands, saying that there was room for everybody although from
the price point of view, it's probably not economical to
customize.

On average, he said, a customer spends between $1,000 to
$5,000 to order custom-made jewelry, while the most expensive
piece he has made was a necklace priced at US$250,000.

"Looking at it from another aspect, I think people want
something different. Everybody wants to look different, unique,
and I think that's what it is, and I think part of it is looking
for something unique, that's why we're successful with our kind
of jewelry," he said.

For jewelry brands, he advised, "they should keep more
variety, be dynamic, keep changing their line and keep coming up
with new offerings. Ultimately, like any salesman would say,
listen to your customer."