A sparkling legacy

Amee Philips, founder and CEO of the Amee Philips jewellery brand.She says despite its ambitious international outlook, Amee Philips’ homegrown roots remain etched in its DNA. — PHOTO: KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star

ESTEEMED Malaysian jewellery house Amee Philips celebrated a major milestone in May — the opening of its first overseas boutique at the heart of Singapore’s bustling centre.

Housed in The Fullerton Hotel, the new outpost beckons visitors with its contemporary, plush interior, embellished with accents in the house’s signature red and gold. Inside, an exquisite selection of exceedingly rare gemstones, as well as a range of luxury everyday jewellery collections, gleam from behind glass on counters and display tops.

Befitting the established luxury jewellery brand is the store’s prestigious address within the iconic Fullerton hotel, a national heritage landmark.

Founder and CEO of her eponymous brand, Amee Philips, tells us that she had long been eyeing the location. “It’s the perfect place for us. The hotel matches our brand in that it is very luxurious and very classy,” she enthuses.

The store, which marks the start of the brand’s international expansion journey, was renovated and set up in about eight months, Philips revealed. “We’re proud of ourselves. Being able to expand across Malaysia and become an international brand is a big achievement. After working 30 years in this business, it really means a lot to us.”

Not-so-hidden gems

Three decades ago, Philips’ love affair with gems was ignited while she was in the town of Idar-Oberstein in Germany. The destination is historically considered to be among the world’s most renowned gemstone centres, famed for its natural gemstone deposits and fine stone-cutting expertise.

“When I was there, I became fascinated by the way gemstones were made and how they were perfectly cut,” she recalls. Enamoured with the beauty of the gemstones, she brought them back with her to Penang, where she began wholesaling them.

Towards the late 90s, Philips went on to diversify into jewellery design, manufacturing and retailing. By 1999, she had opened her first boutique. The years spent specialising in wholesale stood her in good stead, having provided her a deep understanding of the intricacies of coloured gemstones.

“Back when I was wholesaling, I would get packages of gemstones with thousands of pieces inside, and I would pick the best from them. It trained my eye very well to know how to look at gemstones and lay different colours together,” she explains.

A profound love of gemstones and accumulated knowledge from her business propelled her to explore other sides of the industry. “Initially, I started designing jewellery just for myself. When I saw that people wanted to buy them, it gave me the confidence to go into designing, and by the time I got to retailing, I had experience and confidence to do big, beautiful jewellery.”

The transition from wholesaling to retail, however, was still a considerable one. “Retail is a totally different game compared to wholesale,” she observes. “With retail, you need to think about elements like branding, marketing, and customer relationship management. But it’s a beautiful business, because you meet lots of people who share the same passion.”

Jewel intentions

Today, Amee Philips has established itself as a trusted name in all things coloured gemstones and carved out a stellar reputation for finding the world’s finest gems. “When people think of coloured gemstones, we come to mind, because they know us for carrying the most amazing and rare gemstones,” she says.

Boasting retail boutiques in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and now Singapore, the business has steadily built up an exceptional legacy locally and internationally, drawing fine jewellery fans and gemstone collectors from all over the world to its doors.

As CEO, Philips continues to guide the business forward with her husband Drew and two of her children, Gina and Richard, by her side. Drew serves as the managing director, bringing an engineering background and international perspective to the running of business operations.

Gina, who oversees the Singaporean boutique, injects a modern energy into the brand’s designs and marketing as she helps drive its international expansion. Richard, a certified FGA gemmologist, shares his mother’s passion for captivating gemstones, working with her to meticulously curate its expertly cut gems while keeping the brand at the forefront of cutting-edge crafting techniques.

One of Amee Philips’ crowning innovations is the award-winning V-clip, a convertible, modular invention pioneered by Philips in 2005.

Demonstrating not only technical mastery and design skill but also a strong customer-focused approach, the patented V-Clip allows wearers to use pieces interchangeably. For instance, earrings can be detached and worn as a pendant in a necklace, opening up more styling options for various occasions and preferences.

“Personally, I like freedom and I don’t like things to be rigid and tied up. When we heard feedback from some customers about how their jewellery felt stagnant and that they couldn’t do much with one piece, I got to thinking how we could make jewellery that was more versatile and could be worn in different ways,” she says.

“It’s one of our unique products that differentiates us from other jewellers, and now there are a lot of copycats in the market. Of course, that just means that the products are good, right?”

No stone unturned

For Philips, customers are at the very core of the business. “I’ve always believed that a piece of jewellery may sparkle, but it has no life to them until they are worn. That’s why our tagline is: ‘Without you they shine, with you they come to life’. We have always designed with the wearer in mind.”

Catering to the diverse needs and desires of its clients, the brand’s range of jewellery collections celebrate the wearer’s individuality, each telling its own distinct story.

The highly popular Forget-Me-Not collection, for example, was designed to represent everlasting love, while the Bamboo collection was inspired by unflappable resilience. Alongside these, there’s the Conqueror collection, made for those who boldly chase their ambitions, and the sophisticated yet edgy Rebel collection which embraces daring non-conformity.

Despite the wide variety of bejewelled styles found at Amee Philips, the founder shares that the creations all share a common theme. “It’s always about being strong, being yourself, and being a trendsetter rather than a follower,” she says.

With 32 years’ experience in the gem business under her belt, Philips has seen demands and tastes significantly evolve through time. “The Malaysian market is becoming more and more knowledgeable. Before, people liked to buy gold, then they went for diamonds, and then jade. These days they are more open-minded and look for gemstones like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds,” she shares.

“The latest trend we are seeing is the connoisseurs who go for collectible gemstones like Alexandrite, Paraiba, Muzo emeralds, Kashmir sapphires and Burmese rubies. There’s a stronger appreciation for gemstones.”

On the heels of the Singapore boutique’s recent launch, the brand is already setting its sights on further expansion abroad. Philips also reveals that new collection launches are in the pipeline, including one inspired by the Malaysian rainforest and its natural wonders.

Despite its ambitious international outlook, Amee Philips’ homegrown roots remain etched in its DNA. “We are still Malaysians,” she affirms. “Even as we grow outside our borders, we will always be proud of our country.”

This article first appeared in Star Biz7 weekly edition.