As we enter the second ‘ber month, we know the anticipation is building for your holiday trip to the Philippines—if you’re not already here to experience Pinoy Christmas. We at KUBO know that one of the things you’re planning to do when you visit is shop—for gifts for your family here, for pasalubong to bring back abroad with you, and perhaps special local items to gift yourself with.
If there’s one gift that you deserve to get for yourself on your next visit to the Philippines, it’s handcrafted jewelry made of precious gemstones—from diamonds to the ever-popular South Sea pearls. After all, jewelry is a wonderful and meaningful way to express our individuality. From the pieces we would choose to wear each day to the various gemstones that attract us, it’s a profoundly personal process. More than just for adornment, gemstones have been used for protection, boosting energy, attracting wealth, or enhancing intuition since ancient times.
It’s this belief in the power of gemstones that inspired a thoughtful collaboration between jeweller and industrial designer Kristine Dee and the first certified Konmari consultant in the Philippines and mindful living advocate, Christine Dychiao, on a stunning new collection called “Essence.” Their almost two-decade friendship, common love for beautiful things, and respective styles came together to create something that is just as personal for wearers of these fine jewellery pieces, which are meant to spark joy.
“Essence” will be on display today, October 4, and tomorrow, October 5, 11:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club in Makati. After October 5, the Essence collection will be available for purchase until supplies last via directly messaging @kristinedeejewellery on Instagram and by booking an appointment at Kristine Dee Jewellery’s showroom in BGC (Bonifacio Global City). Read on for more details.
Jewelry that reflects your Essence
The “Essence” collection is made up of beautiful, wearable, and one-of-a-kind pieces created by Dee, featuring unique gemstones meticulously selected by Dee and Dychiao. Making it even more special is how Kristine Dee Jewellery’s discerning clientele can customize their own necklaces: putting together gemstones, chains, connectors, and pendants—as well as pairing them with complementing earrings, rings, and bracelets—to make a collection that truly fits their look, personality, and lifestyle.
“The gemstones have a purpose and meaning. When you choose them, you make them your own. It is your own unique DNA. It is your identity, capturing your individuality. It is your Essence,” Dee elaborates on the name of the latest collection. “Every piece tells a story. They are not just jewelry, but they are beautiful pieces that hold meaning for us.”
Among the highlights of the “Essence” collection are special occasion fine jewelry pieces, which are new designs from Kristine, including the Taylor Earrings, made with hexagon ruby cabochon with remarkable Ethiopian opal drops and diamonds; as well as the Maddie Earrings, with morganite, heart aquamarine, and diamonds. Another key piece is the bi-color tourmaline Adele Bangle, where the setting displays the beauty of the stones perfectly. Often seen as a stone of harmony, the dual colors represent the balance between different energies and emotions.
Indeed, it’s the color of the gemstones that will first attract you to this collection, as Dee’s elegant and expertly handcrafted designs make them truly pop: the striking orange of the carnelian, the bright blue of the lapis lazuli beads, and mesmerizing mix of turquoise, coral, and copper in a spiny oyster.
“We thought to design it as a special piece we can wear when we want to tap into the energy we need for the day, made with 14K and 18K gold, so it is treated with the care and reverence it deserves—honoring the beauty of the stone and building it to last so they can be passed on as heirloom jewelry,” states Dychiao. The “Essence” collection also features blue sapphire, lemon quartz, citrine, orange quartz, blue topaz, emerald, tsavorite, amethyst, and pearls. All are sourced from where they are naturally occurring around the world—including Brazil, Mexico, Arizona, Italy, Africa, and India.
Part of the “Essence” collection are pendants featuring different shapes and letters in various sparkling designs, as well as the 12-month collection of connectors with birthstones, so clients can further personalize their jewelry and even those they plan to gift to loved ones for special occasions or the upcoming holiday season. Fans of diamonds must seek out the Mirabella lock pendant.
Reworking the old to create something more YOU
While every piece that’s part of the “Essence” collection will make for great heirloom jewelry, another highlight of the “Essence” launch is how Dee offers clients the opportunity to have their old pieces of jewelry reworked in order to bring new life to them. Instead of just sitting in your jewelry box, Dee can rework these old pieces into elegant, functional jewelry that reflects your taste and the times.
Dee is known for creating jewelry designs that are heavily influenced by her own clients: “I like working with people, their ideas give me inspiration. When I draw, I think of their face shape, ears, hands, height, built, body shape, how they dress. When they tell me stories, I see what kind of person they are,” reveals Dee. “My design shines [on them] because it suits them the most,” she enthuses.
“Kristine has always had a distinct and unique approach to design; her clients can tell from one look that something is designed and made by her. She’s very creative in putting things together with a delicate sense of balance and proportion. Her works are intricate and well thought of, making the eyes travel through the piece,” says Dychiao.
Reworking heirloom jewelry also allows you to become more sustainable: You get to save on materials and costs (not to mention lessening your carbon footprint) while bringing together your own past and present in a piece you can wear everyday. Think of old earrings, rings, and necklaces from your mom or grandmother that Dee can turn into brand new-looking compositions. This is something Dee has been doing for some of her regular clients, including Dychiao, who practices sustainable living herself.
Like all Kristine Dee jewelry, pieces from the “Essence” collection are available in limited quantities. “If you see something you like, if you find something that calls to you, just get it because it’s one-of-a-kind; you might not find it next time,” say Dee and Dychiao.
Kristine Dee Jewellery’s showroom is located at One McKinley Place 3E South Tower, 3rd Avenue cor. 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines. You can also book an appointment for reworking your heirloom jewelry by contacting +63906-3264490.
About Kristine Dee
Jeweller and Industrial Designer Kristine Dee obtained her Master’s Degree in Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute in New York in 2001 and her undergraduate degree from De La Salle University College of St. Benilde in Manila in 1998. She has also undertaken special studies in Scandinavian furniture design at the Denmark Design School in Copenhagen. Her love for the arts, design, and precious gemstones—together with a keen eye for proportion—led her to create artisanal and bespoke fine jewellery pieces that depict stories of beauty and elegance, in combination with excellent craftsmanship.
About Christine Dychiao
Christine Dychiao’s 25-year career has spanned various fields from banking to fashion retail and entrepreneurship in Manila and Singapore, but she found the most joy in sharing her musings about thoughtful consumption and sustainable living through her writings, tidying work, and talks. She works with a growing roster of clients ranging from Top 1000 Corporations to independent brands, and individual clients helping turn their spaces into a sanctuary of calm and order. Through her workshops and talks, she has shared her insights and learnings on the benefits of disengaging from the overwhelm of our possessions.
