Cherished Tokens
Three Hong Kong personalities offer a peek inside their jewellery boxes and reveal which pieces mean the most
Deborah Hung
The use of superlatives is usually a feature of any conversation involving a description of Deborah Hung. The prettiest, the fittest—the woman with the pinkest car. And when it comes to her taste in jewellery, it is definitely a case of the shiniest, as Deborah and her husband, Stephen, are known for their dazzling gems. But while Stephen is a fan of rubies, Deborah’s taste is more understated—at least when it comes to the choice of shade. “I love white diamonds; I’m not very fond of coloured diamonds or gemstones,” she says. “I’m keen to get a choker with diamonds, which I find is rather difficult to find. Or a 30-carat diamond ring—i love big pieces.”
She’ll break the colour rule once in a while, though. “I really like opal, but it’s hard to find opal jewellery here. I want a very distinct blue opal that comes from Australia or Mexico.” While stones from these two countries hold strong appeal, when it comes to jewellery, Hung’s heart belongs elsewhere. She points to a pair of large, openworked chandelier earrings. “These were given to me by a friend. They’re from Russia. I just love the country and the people. I have a lot of Russian friends, so I like Russian-inspired jewellery. I don’t wear earrings very often, but when I do it’s often these.”
Carol Murray
If the aim of jewellery lovers is to create a distinctive look that is entirely their own, then Carol Murray passes the test with flying colours. She is known for her extraordinary array of rings, and is often surrounded at parties by guests clamouring for a look at her dazzling hands.
“Your jewellery is part of your personality,” Carol says. “You should buy and wear jewellery that makes you feel happy. And a piece that you love to wear doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive; it just has to make you feel confident about yourself. Since I realised this, I have become more adventurous with my taste. I don’t mind surrounding blue sapphires with pink sapphires. Well, also because I have diamonds to put in between.”
Carol also never worries about matching her jewellery with what she’s wearing. “My clothes are overall very muted. I very seldom wear bright colours, and it’s because I enjoy wearing jewellery,” she says.
Caroline Ho
When your parents own one of the city’s most established jewellery brands, you learn about precious gems at an early age—although Caroline Ho’s introduction to the world of rubies was more as sneak thief than as heiress-in-waiting. “My mother took me on a buying trip when I was around three,” she says. “She had all these rubies on the table and I hid one. Then, when she started to make an inventory, she panicked when she realised something was missing. She asked me if I had seen it, and I flipped it out and said, ‘This?’ I had no idea of the value of the stone.”
Some years down the track and now head of Adler, Caroline appreciates the beauty—and worth—of jewellery as much or more than anyone, particularly the craftsmanship that goes into creating it and the emotions that become attached to it. The two pieces that mean the most to her are both imbued with family sentiment.
“I’m very attached to the imperial jade bracelet that was given to me by my father when I was very young. And also the imperial jade ring I received from my mum, which I intend to pass on to my daughter. She is only three but is already very much into jewellery and loves to hang out in the stores.” Watch out for your rubies, Caroline!