The way Simone Ng puts it, her current profession is less a matter of choice than destiny. “I believe my love for jewellery is written into my DNA,” she says. “Both sets of my grandparents were involved in the jewellery industry.” Her paternal grandfather was a businessman who founded a jewellery and watch chain in the 1950s. Her maternal grandparents were professional sportsmen who travelled frequently for competitions. Their destinations included Myanmar, which was then not open to leisure travellers. “They brought back beautiful coloured gemstones from the country that my grandmother showed to the society ladies in her circle. Gemstone sourcing became a side business for her.”
After completing her MBA, Ng boldly dived headfirst into her passion, sinking a five-figure sum into starting her eponymous luxury jewellery line in 2006. It was a significant amount of money to contemplate losing, but barely enough for realising her vision. She counts the move as one of the biggest risks she has taken, saying: “I followed my instincts and jumped into a business I was not formally trained in.”
Fortunately for her, the gamble paid off. She sold half of her initial collection of 20 one-of-a-kind pieces in 30 minutes. It was an encouraging start that indicated the potential of her venture.
She calls her creations ‘wearable art’, with transformability and detachable components being hallmarks. To maintain exclusivity, the brand has no retail locations; customers may only view or buy pieces through events, exhibitions and private appointments. Ng stresses: “Most importantly, each item is unique and no reproductions are made.”
Of her entrepreneurial journey, she has this to say: “Passion contributes about 50 per cent to success in business. The flame should never die in sickness or health, through wealth or poverty.”
