I started making jewelry because of stress-related insomnia. I couldn't sleep due to work, it was late at night and I wanted to do something different from my day job. So I picked up some beads and borrowed a pair of pliers from my dad.

My jewelry making journey has come a long way since 2003. When I started, it was with plastic beads and base wires. My preferred materials now are gemstones and fine metals, although I have a soft spot for vintage beads and brass.

When I sit down to conceptualise a new piece, the first question I ask is "would I wear this?" And that's really one of the guiding principles behind Essentials: every piece that is offered must be something that I would be happy to wear myself.

I'm also guided by quality vs pricing. I strongly believe that well-crafted jewelry should be accessible to everyone. Essentials therefore offers pieces at a range of price points, but regardless of price, every piece should be well made and quality materials used.

Unlike some other artisans, there's no real "theme" at Essentials. What I design depends on the materials on hand and my mood that day. For the same reason, most pieces are one of a kind. While some designs can be recreated, the re-creation is likely to be different from the original due to the material availability.

It has been almost 20 years since I started making jewelry. But I still mainly create at night and in a makeshift studio that has to be cleared out by day time. I hope to one day have my own little dedicated studio for Essentials.

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