Creative thinking is giving these powerhouses in the local jewellery scene an edge in changing the game—in this series, we speak to four women who embody that pioneering spirit.
Daring to explore possibilities has given Alexandra Alberta Yeo leave to embrace a strong partiality to what she describes as “up-and-coming gemstones” that are seeing rising prominence among jewellers—some of the varieties she has set in her creations before include spinels, tourmalines, kunzite, and turquoise from southwestern US.
“The [jewellery] industry is experiencing an exciting time, where many people are coming to appreciate the beauty of coloured gemstones and their popularity is on the steady rise,” she says. “With new innovations and options, this should be an era where coloured stones are in the ultimate spotlight.”
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Vibrant gems are a key part of what makes Alexandra Alberta, the jewellery brand Yeo launched in 2010,
unique, she says. Bold, artistic design and a keen sense of fashion make up the other pillars. And for good reason: Yeo’s mother, “a fashion buyer and artistic soul” who travelled frequently to destinations such as Paris and Milan and brought back beautiful jewels and accessories was an early inspiration, while Yeo’s internships at fashion brands from Lanvin to Rag & Bone and living in cosmopolitan centres such as New York City and Los Angeles were all experiences that lent flair to her growing interest in jewellery.
Existing at the confluence of luxury, casualness and cool, Yeo’s creations include the Metropolis collection, defined by its Art Deco forms and references to urban architecture; and the Nagas collection, built upon a sinuous snake motif—of which a standout is the Sedona cuff bracelet, an exuberant riot of tanzanites, opal, pink tourmaline and peridot encircling a baroque pearl.
Yeo sees shifts in consumer tastes with regard to coloured gemstones as full of bejewelled promise and potential. “It’s a way of thought to the creative process, where I feel like there is an alternative way of thinking, and where one does not need to use the most obvious and popular gemstones to make something a beautiful work of art,” she says. “You can use something unique and under the radar to create a masterpiece.”
PHOTOGRAPHY JAYA KHIDIR
ART DIRECTION GREGORY WOO
HAIR & MAKEUP SHA SHAMSI, USING CHANEL BEAUTY AND KEUNE
PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT IVAN ISKANDAR PADRON YASSIN
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