A cut above the rest

STANDING proudly inside Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is the recently relaunched Hallmark Jewellery boutique.
In it, is its surprisingly young owner William Sin.
Having an eye for jewels runs in the blood – Sin’s grandmother used to import high quality jade from Hong Kong, then his parents established Hallmark Jewellery in 1965. Naturally, Sin developed a keen interest and appreciation for fine stones.
“I remember following my parents to their shop growing up, so I’ve always been interested in pieces of jewellery. But I wasn’t aware of the value of the things they were selling,” the 24-year-old related.
Perfectly sure of what he wanted to do, Sin took up a gemology course at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and joined the industry at the mere age of 19, under the guidance of his parents.
Late last year, the heir apparent reintroduced Hallmark Jewellery, going full force in the jewellery retail scene and slowly proving to the public that depth of knowledge is not necessarily synonymous with age.
Now that you’ve taken over, how do your parents feel about your jewellery designs?
My mum is the one who frequents jewellery exhibitions, and shows me new things to implement into my jewellery. So she’s able to accept what I like and relate to the designs that I have.
Whereas for my dad, he’s in the production line and for him, it’s down to craftsmanship. Design comes second to him, because what’s most important is how it’s made. So in the beginning he would say, “This wouldn’t sell” or “This isn’t suitable for the market” out of experience. But he keeps me in check while my mum supports me in terms of design.
Is it tough handling a business like this at a young age?
Yes, my age was a huge factor when I first ventured into the business because almost everyone I dealt with was at least double or triple my age. So I was intimidated and afraid I would say the wrong things. Because of the nature of this business, and the price of fine jewellery, it’s hard for industry players to trust that you know what you’re doing.
It’s very hectic, and a lot of responsibility is attached to big sums of money, and you want to ensure that your customers are not making a mistake. When it comes to meeting people, you want to carry yourself well so people are assured that you know your stuff despite your young age.
How did you overcome that?
Well, it has kept me on my toes. Up until today, I want to learn more and be up to date about the jewellery industry. I think eagerness to learn is very important; you have to know what you’re doing. But you also have to love what you’re doing, because when you do, it’s not going to be hard for you to keep learning.
What are the qualities should an aspiring jeweller possess in order to survive the industry?
Discipline is very important because of how much you’re dealing with. Honesty, because you can try to sell at sky-high prices and twist your words to make a sale, but people will figure that out sooner or later. You don’t want to be that type of person.
Humility is also important, for people to want to teach you. You have to always tell yourself that there’s still a lot to learn even if it’s 10 years from now – simply because there are always other people who are 10 years ahead of me.
TRIVIA
Coffee or tea: Tea.
Favourite gemstone: Diamond.
On his playlist: The Lumineers.
Daily accessories: Watch and bracelets.