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INTERVIEW
In the beginning
Her creations begin with stones
rather than sketches. “I choose gems
for their individual beauty,” she
explains. “When I combine them, I
start by laying them out in the shape
and structure that I have in mind. I
like to see how they work together – to
explore and experiment with their
relationship with each other – before
drawing a design.”
As coloured gems are the heroes of her
designs, so gemstone expertise is at the
heart of Philips’ business. Born and bred
in Penang, her fascination with all that glitters began when she
moved to Europe in the early 90’s. Philips, who has a natural talent
for colour and cut, honed her skills in Europe’s century old gemstone
capital, Idar Oberstein. Looking at gems every day trained her eye for
quality and value, and she developed a reputation for selecting and
securing the finest of stones. She then returned to her beloved Penang
to build a jewellery wholesale business that became synonymous
with quality and integrity.
Lucky stone
Philips soon began to do designing herself. “It was a natural progres-
sion,” she explains. “When I see wonderful stones I can’t help but
think about how to help them sparkle and shine.” Philips remembers
her first sale. “I’d designed a piece to wear to a Chinese New Year’s
party – a string of 21 rubies, set in gold. The night had barely begun
when a fellow guest asked if I could make one for her too. Rubies
are my birth stone, and I guess they proved lucky for me because
that experience gave me the confidence to found
Amee Philips Fine
Jewellery Design.
”
The rubies may have been lucky, but it’s Philips’ creative vision,
and talent for bringing stones to life, that has won her a loyal follow-
ing, a string of awards and partnerships with international designers.
Amee Philips designs take classical, contemporary and multicultural
influences and fuses them into unique pieces of wearable art. Her
patented V-clip – which allows the wearer to customise jewellery to
suit their mood and occasion – redefines the potential of favourite
pieces and has placed Philips at the forefront of innovation in
jewellery design.
Pieces that live
What really matters to Philips is how wearing her designs makes
people feel. “I want to create jewellery that comes to life when you
wear it,” she says. “Pieces which are exciting and uplifting to wear
today, and which can be handed down through the generations.”
Amee Phillips Fine Jewellery
has an enduring quality that goes beyond
fleeting fashion. Just like the gems themselves.
The Gemstone Expert
AmeePhilipsdrawsenergyand inspirationfromthegemssheworkswithtocreateworks
of stunning beauty.
Amee Philips wearing one of her creations