Kim Keat means ‘Gold Medal, Gold Luck’ in Hokkien. Whether or not luck influenced the founding of the company, things did not come easy for the pioneer owner of Kim Keat Jewellery, Lin Hua Zhi. Lin lacked the luxury of a rich up-bringing or an inheritance. Born in the Guang Dong province of China and orphaned at the age of twelve in Mersing, Malaysia, he struggled in his early years as an apprentice in a local goldsmith shop. Under his master’s guidance, Lin worked hard and discovered he had an affinity for the craft. His quick mind thought up new ways to shape the gold, and his agile hands possessed the skills to realise his ideas. After WWII, Mr. Lin migrated to Singapore, open up a small jewellery factory, which he named Kim Keat after a nearby street. Before his time, jewellers had to cut jewellery by hand. However, Lin invented one of the earliest versions of the jewellery cutting machine now standard among jewellers throughout the world. Kim Keat Jewellery Factory Pte Ltd till date strives to continue to deliver jewellery with stunning designs and quality craftsmanship.