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Eu Yan Sang scion Rebecca Eu launches a new jewellery brand with lab-grown diamonds

The influencer, entrepreneur and scion of the Eu Yan Sang empire tells us about her new business venture called rinn.

Eu Yan Sang scion Rebecca Eu launches a new jewellery brand with lab-grown diamonds

Eu Yan Sang scion Rebecca Eu launches rinn, a jewellery label that specialises in lab-grown diamonds.

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It’s no secret that Rebecca Eu is a big fan of bling. She is a regular fixture at events hosted by world-famed jewellery brands, and her Instagram account is filled with photos of her sporting their latest designs.

This year, however, sees her taking that love to a whole new level with the launch of her own jewellery brand: rinn, which specialises in lab-grown diamonds that promise all of the gem’s beauty at a third of the price.

When CNA Lifestyle contacted Eu at the end of October to chat with her about the new brand, she asked if we could set the interview at a later date so that she could sort out “some details on the admin side” first.

That's how new the business is: The brand website will only be launching early next year (Eu is currently busy proofreading it before it goes live), and the only way to get in touch with her till then is through rinn's Instagram account (she does personal meetups with clients). It’s definitely not a usual way to start a business – something that Eu is very conscious of – but it hasn’t stopped the influencer and entrepreneur from moving forward.

Lab-grown diamond rings by rinn. (Photo: rinn)

“When doing business, you have to be quite realistic about how far things can go [within a given timeframe]. I'd love to have had everything set up by now,” she admitted when we spoke to her in mid-November. “And I will get there, but, for now, this is where I can start, and this is where I can learn.”

As she tells us, the name rinn comes from the combination of both her name and that of her fiance, Kin Hui, a project engineer with an offshore energy company. But the symbolism of the brand goes much deeper.

“Rinn (ริน) in Thai actually means to pour something slowly and gently. In Southeast Asia, I observed how, as women, we pour ourselves into our different roles so much – like the role of being a mother, a sister, or a daughter. We rarely ever take the time to pour that same amount of commitment and love into ourselves,” she shared.

“So rinn really is about creating meaningful relationships, not only with the people around you but with yourself. To slowly, gently learn to pour a little bit of that kindness into the world and also yourself.”

Rinn (ริน) in Thai actually means to pour something slowly and gently.

People who know Eu would not be surprised by her thoughtful answer. What may raise an eyebrow is how grounded she is despite her family legacy. Eu is a scion of the traditional Chinese medicine Eu Yan Sang empire, but she has her feet firmly planted on the ground – a quality that played a big part in her launching rinn.

Rebecca wearing rinn's lab-grown diamond rings. (Photo: rinn)

When Kin proposed to her earlier this year on Chinese Valentine’s Day (May 20), she knew she wanted her engagement ring to reflect their values as a couple. That’s when the couple decided to turn to lab-grown diamonds and their guarantee of an ethical, conflict-free gem with considerably less environmental impact than a traditionally mined one. (“I'm such an advocate for sustainability, and I'm always trying to tell people to consume responsibly. I felt like I had to stand behind that statement,” she quipped with a laugh.) And though you may not think it, there were also very practical factors that influenced the decision as well.

“It just made more sense for us as a young couple and where we are in our lives,” she explained. “Kin, who is very sweet, saved up for the ring of my dreams. But I thought about it and felt we could save so much money and put it towards something that had a little bit more longevity for us [as a couple], like a house. I mean, I still wanted a beautiful piece of jewellery, but what a beautiful piece of jewellery really comes down to is the design and what it means to you.”

A 2.25-carat diamond ring, E-colour, VVS1 clarity round-cut engagement ring would cost around S$8,500 at rinn.

While searching for the perfect lab-grown gem for her ring, she grew frustrated at the limited availability of gem cuts and found the pricing “quite confusing” due to the lack of transparency. “So all this spiralled into me thinking maybe I should start my own thing,” she said.

(Photo: rinn)

And so she did. With the full support of her family and Kin (her “math guy” who helps crunch the numbers and prevent her from overspending), she launched rinn, working with different lab-diamond manufacturers and a production team in Thailand that crafts the jewellery.

She soft-launched the brand at the start of November with a Spa & Sparkles event, teaming up with her friend Louisa Leow of BMF – The Aesthetics People, and inviting an intimate group of friends who turned up in full force to support her.

Her first collection comprised classic necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and other bridal designs that would make any woman proud on her special day. In the future, though, she hopes to incorporate more Southeast Asian elements into the designs, and maybe even Chinese herbs: “Obviously, they've been in my life for so long, and I find them quite beautiful, like the ginseng flower, for example.”

A lab-grown solitaire ring by rinn. (Photo: rinn)

But to get back to the all-important question: How much cheaper are rinn’s lab-grown diamonds? She tells us that a diamond ring similar to her 2.25-carat, E-colour, VVS1 clarity round-cut engagement ring would cost around S$8,500 at rinn. That’s significantly less than the S$35,000 or so price tag that can accompany a stone of that quality.

“My mum and I used to sneak into wholesale jewellery fairs, and it is just so fun when you find a good deal, you know? That's what I want. I want to pass that feeling on, and I want people to enjoy jewellery as much as I do. I mean, S$8,000 is still a big number for young people, but it’s not S$30,000. Lab diamonds are making jewellery a bit more accessible. It's still luxury and a serious purchase, but it won't drain you as much as it would if it was mined. Jewellery is fun, and that's what I want rinn to be."

For now, Eu is enjoying this latest journey and is happy for rinn (which offers ready-made pieces alongside a bespoke service) to grow organically. Plus, with a massive wedding to plan for next year, and a new lifestyle collection to finally launch for her other business Mei’s Own (a nine-year-old social enterprise online retail store that went into a pandemic-related hiatus), it looks like this is the way it’ll have to be – at least for the near future. But don’t be surprised if you start hearing more about this brand quite soon. Those prices are near impossible to resist.

Source: CNA/yy

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