Payal Shah (pictured), whose jewellery brand L'Dezen has garnered a worldwide following in the three years since its inception, draws inspiration from architecture, her hometown of Hong Kong and her Indian heritage.
"Fine jewellery is now a blurred line between fashion and luxury. People tend to invest in the best quality they can afford and wear pieces in different ways. Women and men, especially in Asia and the Middle East, wear more fine jewellery on a regular basis and want it to express who they are as an individual."
"Generic jewellery is sold in large volumes to mass retailers whereas unique jewellery is created exclusively for a niche clientele in limited quantities. I use diamonds like rose-cuts and slice diamonds, irregular-shaped, a diamond in its most rare form. I love that no two pieces are alike."
"You have to be hands-on with design, marketing, management and understand the economies of scale. You can only be as successful as the growth of your company. You should know who your target market is and try to make sure you are catering to them constantly. People might start copying your style if they see it being successful. You always need to be thinking four steps ahead."
"I love Hong Kong but the quality of life here can spoil a person and lead them to believe that everything comes easy. However, the constant travelling I did as a child opened my eyes. I am Indian by ethnicity. I adore my Indian values, festivals and family but respect the local traditions in Hong Kong. There's a balance between art, business, adventure and culture here that influences my personal growth. I don't really have a legitimate background in jewellery but, having studied architectural design, I have a strong understanding of geometrics and structure. That's why I like to challenge the ideals of traditional jewellery by blending conventional materials to create neoteric pieces."