Choo Yilin, the Singaporean jeweller who made jade cool, is back after a 3-year hiatus

It would not be an understatement to say that Choo Yilin singlehandedly brought sexy back into Singapore’s jade scene. Before that, the precious mineral – though often prized and treasured – was seen as something that only grandmothers would wear; a precious relic of the past more often kept in a velveteen pouch than worn. That all changed when the jeweller launched her inaugural jade collection in 2010.

Offering jade bangles adorned with intricate filigree work, rings with handcrafted flowers on a bed of jade, and earrings with precious gems held in place by ornate Peranakan-inspired settings, the collection changed how jade was perceived.

The traditional was imbued with a chic allure that parlayed history and heritage into thoroughly modern heirlooms that were proudly and innately Southeast Asian. Showcasing primarily Type A Burmese jadeite that had been handpicked and custom-cut, this distinctive aesthetic became the brand’s design signature – one that was often emulated, though not with the same amount of success.

CHOO YILIN V2.0

Not so slowly but ever so surely, Choo Yilin's eponymous brand established itself as the go-to brand for modern jade jewellery, with local and international press singing its praises. Then, at the height of its popularity, the brand made a shocking announcement.

In November 2019, on its 10th anniversary year and just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the brand announced that it was closing its Mandarin Gallery boutique and going into an “indefinite hiatus” to reflect on its craft and storytelling, while “laying the foundation for the next chapter” of its journey.

“2019 actually saw us hit some significant milestones, and it was also our best-performing financial year, so the community was understandably shocked when we announced our hiatus,” said Choo, who is currently based in Hanoi with her diplomat husband. “As we were gearing up for internationalisation, we realised that the infrastructure that had served us so well before needed a massive revamp if the company was to continue thriving.”

That massive revamp involved rebuilding, restructuring and restrategising the business according to the brand’s mission of telling “important stories of heritage, love and becoming”.

Exactly four years later and it looks as if Choo has accomplished what she set out to do: “Choo Yilin v2.0”, as she calls it, officially returned to the scene in November 2023 with the brand’s first-ever digital gallery of The Estate Collection, which comprised 10 one-of-a-kind antique jewellery pieces that had been lovingly and diligently restored and reimagined.

Procured from estates spanning Asia, the USA and England, and reaching back across time to the Victorian period and Colonial Asia, the collection celebrates the gem cuts and savoir-faire of a bygone era. Choo’s input finds itself in the jadeite, pearls and diamonds that have been woven onto their antique forms, resulting in creations that meld the past with the present in a style and manner that remains distinctively Choo Yilin.

THE ESTATE COLLECTION

“I started collecting the pieces (for the Estate Collection) many years ago, long before the brand went into hiatus,” Choo explained. “I was inexplicably drawn to them, not only because they were stunning but also because of the stories they carried. Each of these pieces tells a specific story that I find incredibly moving, and they are all crucial in informing the Choo Yilin aesthetic that the team has so lovingly honed over the last 15 years.”

An example is the custom-made kerosang (a trio of brooches used to fasten traditional ethnic clothing like the baju kebaya or baju panjang) from the 1950s. They’re believed to have stayed with its original family for about seven decades before they made their way to the estate market. Kept for its original purpose, Choo instead transformed the brooches’ detachable chains into a diamond and ice jade bracelet.

There’s also the Victorian brooch from the 1880s with a floral motif reminiscent of Choo Yilin’s logo. Crafted from oxidised sterling silver and gold, the brooch breathes new life as a ring-cum-pendant that glitters with its original mine-cut diamonds, along with additional custom-cut jade and brilliant-cut diamonds to enhance its allure.

“We picked out pieces that were very closely linked to the Choo Yilin aesthetic for this campaign. Each of these pieces, coming from different periods and various parts of the world, share similarities, and we wanted to showcase that universality across time and cultures,” she added. “Most importantly, we wanted to show that Choo Yilin stands on the shoulders of giants. We could never create the pieces we did without these estate pieces that came before us.”

It was a considerable task that the team undertook, not least because several of the pieces needed restoration work because of their age, requiring “particular skills that only a select few artisans had”, she recounted. But what makes the Estate Collection even more astounding is that it was launched for pure appreciation purposes: Choo had no intention of putting any of the 10 creations up for sale, initially.

She told CNA Lifestyle: “The Estate Collection is a love letter to the past told through an exhibition. Having said that, we have had queries from clients who wish to procure the pieces – which is why we’re now open to having a select few pieces for sale.”

Before you rush to Choo Yilin’s website to see if you can get your hands on a design, you’ll need to know that there is no e-commerce site – for the Estate Collection or otherwise. Also, Choo does not intend to open another brick-and-mortar store anytime soon. At this point, the only way to purchase Choo Yilin is through the brand’s three-day Digital Trunk Show, which she shared, is to “likely happen” within the first quarter of this year.

People interested in getting first dibs on her creations are advised to sign up for the mailing list through the website. (Although, with some of her pieces having a waitlist of over 600 names, it’s best to temper expectations.)

“Choo Yilin is in a new phase; I don’t think mass retail is right for us at this juncture. The world has changed dramatically since the pandemic, and we believe that focusing on artistic growth and storytelling will best serve the brand for now,” she shared.

“But we’ve been humbled, amazed, and grateful for the love we still receive from our community. So, in addition to unveiling new collections and stories, we’ll have digital pop-ups a few days a year to respond to that love. The goal is not to do more of the same or follow a conventional path, but to stay true to Choo Yilin’s artistic and heritage identity. The brand will likely evolve even further over the next few years, but this feels right for us at this point in time.”