When I came to Singapore in the ‘80s, I started collecting some semi-precious stone necklaces – I had one of rose quartz, another of jasper, and I started reading up about beads and about semi-precious stones. On a trip to Victoria, Canada in 1991, I went into Beadworld, and it felt like Aladdin’s cave with the unimaginable variety and diversity of beads calling out to me. Despite never having strung up a necklace before, I bought many, many beads that day, some of which you will see in some of the necklaces in Manik. Along with these beads, a bead board and other basic tools and findings, and a simple ‘how to’ book on necklace-making.

Thus began my thirty over years relationship with beads and necklace making. I started collecting beads in Singapore and wherever I travelled – antique trade beads, carnelian and glass beads in Sarawak, silver beads in Bali, Thailand, Nepal, metal beads in Australia, Taureg silver beads and pre-World War II Czech glass beads in New York, Dzi beads in Tibet, amber In Prague, vintage crystal beads from a church jumble sale in London, etc. I also acquired various books on beads, to learn the history, the characteristics and the stories.

I made necklaces for myself, for friends, and I also sold some in boutiques. I loved them all – the matrix of turquoise beads, the inclusions of dendritic quartz, the beautiful patina and ‘character’ of older beads, the imperfections of hand-made beads…

In the new millenium however, even as I continued to acquire beads, I had less and less time to make necklaces, as I grew increasingly busier at work. 

As Covid took over our lives in 2020, I turned to my beads for solace and for my sanity.  My career had started to wind down, and as I looked at my 30-year collection of beads, I ruminated tentatively to my family, that I really should do something with all my beads, disperse them in necklaces to share my love. I was surprised by the wholehearted enthusiasm and support from my nieces… And thus, Manik was conceived, and has been a labour of love for the family to bring it to fruition… I design and string up each necklace, and each necklace is a one-off. I also love mixing things up - the silver beads from Bali with the lapis from Chile, the antique carnelian with the contemporary zoisite, and so on…

Kay,
Team Manik