Experience in investing in silver

Came across this deal on deal.com.sg :

An offer of 1 oz Johnson Mattey 999 silver bar plus a 5 grams Scotsdale 999 Fine Silver Bar going at a special price of SGD$ 99.90

Thus, decided to snap up some as a form of investment!

Ear Rings get a new life...

Believe it or not, this pair of cufflinks used to be a pair of ear rings I bought from Metropolitan Museum of Art. Look at what it used to be here..

Wire Wrapped Lapis Ring

Got this very beautiful ring as a gift recently...


It is a ring hand crafted from 925 silver wire with an amazing lapis lazuli stone as a centre piece...

Amazing wire work!

Stash from Jewelfest 2009

This is my stash from Jewelfest 2009:
Silver enameled cufflinks... with a distinct vintage Indian feel...

I like the intricate features on it... looks almost like a peacock!

Japan World Exposition 1970 Silver Medallion

Just bought this antique silver medallion...

It was minted in 1970 probably in conjunction with Japan World Exposition, EXPO in 1970.

Condition of the medallion is still pretty good as you can make out from the pictures!

Stash from Singapore International Jewellery Show 2009:Ammonite Ear Rings

Another of my stash from the show..

A pair of ammonite ear rings, set in 925 silver!
I really like the designs on this piece, which is seldom seen in ammonites!

The colour contrast of the fossil is also pretty interesting!

Will be converting this into something interesting... stay tuned...

Stash from Singapore International Jewellery Show 2009: Moonstone Ring

I do not normally wear rings with cabochons in them as they are kinda too "retro" looking for me...

But this piece really caught my eye when I was at the show!

I like the modern design of the setting, coupled with a good quality moonstone in setting which appears to be part of the ring contour.

Look at the beautiful blue sheen!

It's set in 925 silver, which means, I should get this plated soon..

Baba Bling

Hanging banners along the roads caught my eyes... the words 'Baba Bling' together with an image of a piece of vintage jewelled brooch set with intan diamonds caught my eye:

Turned out that the Singapore Peranakan Musuem is having a special exhibtion that showcases traditional Peranakan jewellery!

So decided to explore the place, as I had never been to this place... and I must say that I was indeed impressed by the collection within the Baba Bling exhibit. Sad to say, no photography was allowed within that particular hall! Not too sure for whatever reasons...

But I am glad to bring you other pictures from the other halls!

Golden belt sets, look at how intricate the designs are:

Amulet collection:

Brooches, set with intan diamonds:

I learned that the Pernakans have different jewellery for different occassions, and even have mourning jewellery during the mourning period. Also, some of the jewellery are also influenced by Western influence.

Even their utensils are made of precious bling!

See these silver plates, teapots, cups and kettles with their intricate designs, these are used during the wedding ceremonys:

Intricate works like the one featured below, is actually a bed room adornment for the newly wed:

Not to mention the luxurious looking bolster and pillow ends:

as well as the curtain hook:

Last but not lest, some pictures of the sireh (betel nut) containers which many of the rich Peranakan ladies loved to chew on!

DIY 'Resize'

I am quite pleased with myself as I managed to 'resize' the ring I got from the Metropolitian Museum of Art.

It was a tad too tight initially...

So with the aid of a pair of pliers, jewellery polishing cloth, I managed to stretch the ring just a wee bit so that it could accommodate my fingers.

After the 'resize':

Arty Stash

My newest stash of the day comes from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York!

Walked past the store today, and was attracted by the large words "Moving Out Sale"! It turns out that all Singapore outlets of the The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York will be closed soon with tomorrow, Wednesday 15/07/2009, the last day to grab some last minute deals!

I actually bought all these:

A pair of sterling silver spiral cufflinks with Javanese inspired designs!

A sterling silver Viking ring (this really looks like a tension ring setting at first glance)

and a pair of Apollo intaglio ear rings!You might be thinking.. that's strange.. why ear rings... truth is.. I will be turning this pair of ear rings into something else.. so stay tuned!

Mother of Pearl Cameo Cufflinks

My Mother of Pearl Cameo Cufflinks are finally ready!!!!

They are set in 925 silver....




They certainly look much nicer then I have expected them to be. Tried them on a plain shirt... and the effect is amazing!

Inspired by Nature

This Tiffany & Co. 925 silver cufflink appears to have been inspired by Nature

With its bamboo like design, it sure deserves a second look.

Tiffany & Co. cufflinks

I got this pair of Tiffany & Co. cufflinks when I was in the US last year.

It's made of 925 sterling silver.

Simple yet elegant to be worn everyday!

Cambodian Silver Ornaments

I was browsing through my collection the other day and I came across these Cambodian silver ornaments that i bought a long time ago. They got pretty badly tarnished so I got some silver polishing cloth to work out the lustre of silver!

These are crafted silver (90% as hallmarked on the bottom of the pieces) are handcrafted by village artisans in Phnom Penh, applying the repoussé technique. Silver from Cambodia and Burma are among the most beautiful and interesting art objects in Southeast Asia. Several countries in Asia have a long tradition in silver making for jewellery and "exclusive" decorative items. In Cambodia, the tradition is mostly aimed at making betel boxes where people used to keep ingredients needed for betel chewing. Betel leaves, betel nuts and lime are the main ingredients in betel chewing. The custom is still widespread in parts of Asia, in particular among old people. The Cambodian silversmiths have been considered experts at chasing, repoussé, niello, enamelling, and gilding. Boxes featuring animals are divided lengthwise into two with the head, back, and tail comprising the upper section and the feet and stomach the lower half.

A pumpkin silver box:

This is supposed to be a bird sculpture:

Silver papaya box:

Silver prawn sculpture: