Close
Juay Kyl Li
Jeweller, Selberan
Shine On
Kyl Li joined Selberan in 2016. She studied jewellery-making at Raffles College and wanted to deep dive into the craft. In the course of 4 years, she has learned a thing or two about jewellery making from her senior artisans. And she wants to know more.
“When I first started, I felt a little intimidated. I was working with expensive and often delicate materials. There were days when I didn’t feel up to it. But I keep going, so I can make my own jewellery one day.
My colleagues taught me many processes like filing, setting and soldering. Filing is something that looks easy, but it is not. Too much or too little can ruin a perfect design. The same goes for soldering. Too much or too little flame can do the same thing. Setting coloured gems is an adventure unto itself! Emeralds chip. Rubies crack. These things happen when there’s too much force involved. I feel like Goldilocks, sometimes. Always looking for a way that’s ‘just right’!” says Kyl Li with a smile.
Getting things ‘just right’ also involves making her own tools.
“It’s important because we don’t have the same pair of hands. And we can do the same process, like filing, in different styles. I use long bits of flattened steel to make my own files. Some are big and broad for bigger pieces. The smaller, narrower ones are for delicate work. ”
One of her most memorable pieces which she has worked on is the Five Elements pendant. She has to set five different types of gems on the piece.
“I had to work with ‘soft’ gems like the onyx and pearl. When setting them one has to be really careful because they are easily damaged when not set properly. It took awhile for me to craft this piece perfectly,” Kyl Li explains.
From time to time, she would wander about the Selberan showroom to admire the jewellery on display.
“My favourite pieces are inspired by the Selberan Archive. This archive has many interesting European-style designs all the way back to the 1970s. What catches my eye time and again when I go to the showroom are the thick textured gold rings. They have such beautiful patterns!”
Her craftsmanship journey was unexpectedly interrupted by the Malaysian government’s movement control order. This meant being cut off from her mentors, her colleagues and the vital tools of her trade.
“Being home means not being able to practice jewellery making. My mind remembers the steps, but I was afraid that my hands may not remember how to do them perfectly!
Still, I had a lot of time to explore my passion, gemstones! I collect gems as a hobby and I’ve always wanted to turn them into jewellery. One of my favourite stones in my collection is the amethyst. I love its rich purple colour! I hope to work with it one day,” says Kyl Li.
Jewellery-making is a time-honoured craft. It is also an ever-evolving art form. When pieces are crafted with passion, they take on fresh exciting forms. Selberan, part of the Royal Selangor family, treasures passionate artisans like Kyl Li, who create jewellery that appeal to customers for all time.
“When I first started, I felt a little intimidated. I was working with expensive and often delicate materials. There were days when I didn’t feel up to it. But I keep going, so I can make my own jewellery one day.
My colleagues taught me many processes like filing, setting and soldering. Filing is something that looks easy, but it is not. Too much or too little can ruin a perfect design. The same goes for soldering. Too much or too little flame can do the same thing. Setting coloured gems is an adventure unto itself! Emeralds chip. Rubies crack. These things happen when there’s too much force involved. I feel like Goldilocks, sometimes. Always looking for a way that’s ‘just right’!” says Kyl Li with a smile.
Getting things ‘just right’ also involves making her own tools.
“It’s important because we don’t have the same pair of hands. And we can do the same process, like filing, in different styles. I use long bits of flattened steel to make my own files. Some are big and broad for bigger pieces. The smaller, narrower ones are for delicate work. ”
One of her most memorable pieces which she has worked on is the Five Elements pendant. She has to set five different types of gems on the piece.
“I had to work with ‘soft’ gems like the onyx and pearl. When setting them one has to be really careful because they are easily damaged when not set properly. It took awhile for me to craft this piece perfectly,” Kyl Li explains.
From time to time, she would wander about the Selberan showroom to admire the jewellery on display.
“My favourite pieces are inspired by the Selberan Archive. This archive has many interesting European-style designs all the way back to the 1970s. What catches my eye time and again when I go to the showroom are the thick textured gold rings. They have such beautiful patterns!”
Her craftsmanship journey was unexpectedly interrupted by the Malaysian government’s movement control order. This meant being cut off from her mentors, her colleagues and the vital tools of her trade.
“Being home means not being able to practice jewellery making. My mind remembers the steps, but I was afraid that my hands may not remember how to do them perfectly!
Still, I had a lot of time to explore my passion, gemstones! I collect gems as a hobby and I’ve always wanted to turn them into jewellery. One of my favourite stones in my collection is the amethyst. I love its rich purple colour! I hope to work with it one day,” says Kyl Li.
Jewellery-making is a time-honoured craft. It is also an ever-evolving art form. When pieces are crafted with passion, they take on fresh exciting forms. Selberan, part of the Royal Selangor family, treasures passionate artisans like Kyl Li, who create jewellery that appeal to customers for all time.