We were surrounded with an overwhelming amount of precious gemstones and fine jewellery pieces at the inaugural Singapore Jewellery Gem Fair. The fair was organised by trade fair specialist UBM, which is also the one behind the world’s largest jewellery trade fair in the world held in Hong Kong annually.

“I was simply fixated to every piece, as Kreis gently explained how they cut the stone as they “felt”, to bring out unique angles to the natural lines of each stone.”

Mae Chan

Though more modest in scale compared to the head-spinning trade fair held every year at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the fair – held in October – at Singapore’s prestigious Marina Bay Sands signals the plan of turning the island nation into the newest jewellery and gemstone hub.

“South-east Asia is always a top customer base for the show in Hong Kong, so we want to create a convenient platform for the buyers here,” said Paul Wan, managing director of UBM Asia Trade Fairs Pte Ltd.

200 prominent fine jewellery companies from over 20 countries, including top diamond traders from Israel and Belgium came, eager to test out the South-east Asian (SEA) market…

…In a rather inconspicuous corner booth, German designer Sonja Kreis showcases her stunning designs, the highlight being the unusual shapes and look of the stones. That would be the work of her gemstone-cutter son, Alexander Kreis.

I was simply fixated to every piece, as Kreis gently explained how they cut the stone as they “felt”, to bring out unique angles to the natural lines of each stone. This is something that cannot be duplicated, making no two pieces exactly the same.