It has been 15 years since jeweler Kristine Dee had her very first jewelry exhibit, and it’s been an annual event in Manila every year. But unbeknownst to many, this svelte and petite lady went to New York to take up industrial design.
“I started when I was taking up my master’s degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute in New York. I focused on furniture design at that time. My work background was in furniture design before taking up my masters. I took classes in jewelry design and metalsmithing in the same campus. I got excited about the thought of designing my own jewelry and making it myself. And, eventually, being able to wear it. The combination of my industrial design training and jewelry metalsmithing was a perfect fit,” reveals Kristine.
She flew back to Manila in 2001 and continued her furniture and homeware design for exportation. “But my heart was still in jewelry design and jewelry manufacturing,” shares Kristine. So she took the leap and launched her first jewelry collection in 2003, and showcased her works in galleries and private shows.
Over the years, she has proven that her creations deliver the most sophisticated designs and brings out the most positive emotions, making regular clients out of her customers. “I am known for my fine craftsmanship and pieces that last for years to come. I am known for my cuffs and bracelets as I enjoy doing them the most. The most important factors in my design aesthetics would be my play on proportions, color combinations and texture.”
For this current collection that she named ‘Faces of Beauty,’ Kristine dedicates her fine jewelry pieces to her clients. “Because each one of us is beautiful. We may all look different and have different body types and facial structures, but there is always one thing that is beautiful in each of us.”
“Faces of Beauty” is beauty expressed in different personas, presented in fine jewelry through a mix of contemporary, classic and feminine pieces. “ These are the different types of ladies I have gotten to know over the years.”
