Sparklers for All Seasons

Mention the word "tiara" and Malaysians familiar with the Siti Nurhaliza - Datuk K saga would remember the diamond-laden diadem that she wore for her akad nikah (marriage solemnization) ceremony.

In fact, tiaras were a recurring theme throughout the pop princess' recent marriage celebrations, dubbed as Malaysia's wedding of the year. The first - a delicate confection of diamonds and pale blue sapphires - was the most memorable, setting off the pop diva's matching ice blue outfit.

It was certainly memorable for Tracy Ong of Elegance Club, the jeweler who sponsored Siti's lavish circlets. Ong already had plans to officially launch her tiara collection when the pop icon and her betrothed unexpectedly walked into the Elegance Club at Bangsar Shopping Complex. It was a fitting start for Ong's coveted De' Elegance line of custom-made tiaras.

"We made several alterations before Siti settled on the final design," says Ong. "She is quite easy to work with, and really prefers delicate and feminine pieces rather than chunky stones."

Ong and her team of craftsmen worked round-the-clock for three weeks to complete jewelry work that would normally take about three months. It wasn't the first time she worked non-stop to create customized jewelry though, her store is known for its ability to create customized jewelry on short notice.

"When I set up the jewelry business, I started up a workshop to enable all gem-setting to be done in-house, which ultimately enables me to serve my customers better," says Ong who personally designs most of the customized pieces. "I simply love making customers happy with their personalized pieces."

Ong started with a wholesale gold business 20 years ago but found that she enjoyed talking to clients and customizing jewelry to their needs. She opened the first Elegance Club in Sunway Pyramid ten years ago. Since then, she has built up an impressive clientele consisting of royalty, socialites and other society high-rollers through word-of-mouth.

"Each piece of customized jewelry reflects the owner's personality," says Ong. "It takes painstaking work to create a piece of wearable art that takes into account the wearer's preferences.

"But of course, budget considerations is the starting point of any design," adds Ong.

While she prefers to stay mum on the actual cost of Siti's much-discussed tiaras, Ong highlights that budget is the first thing that a jeweler needs to know from a prospective client.

"Not all tiaras must cost in the millions," she assures. "While it is quite the norm for us to create tiaras that cost up to RM3 million, we've also custom-made tiaras from RM15k onwards."

In her years of providing custom jewelry services, Ong discovered that the demand for tiaras comes not only from royalty. In fact, many Malaysian women wish to be princesses or queens on their wedding day thus keeping Ong and her team busy creating pieces to match wedding trousseaus.

"Semi-precious stones such as topaz and amethyst have been in fashion for a few years now and make excellent pieces of jewelry to match different clothes," says Ong, who professes a fondness for colored gemstones.

Tiaras aside, Elegance Club is also known for its wide range of one-of-a-kind pieces, especially ear-rings and pendants. Classic diamond chokers are given a modern twist with colored gemstones while jade pieces gleam resplendently in contemporary gold settings. Gemstones of every kind but most notably diamonds twinkle and wink from their velvet backdrops in the intimate setting of the store.

Ong plans to launch her De' Elegance line of tiaras by the end of this year and will conduct roadshows nationwide. In the works are also plans to introduce customized hair accessories.

"Now more women are looking for unique pieces to wear during different occasions or even for everyday wear," she says. "Personalized hair accessories are perfect for them to make stylish and feminine fashion statements."

Hairbands with real diamonds, anyone?