As coloured gems are the heroes of Amee’s designs, so gemstone expertise is at the heart of her business. Born and bred in Penang, her fascination with all that glitters began when she moved to Europe in the early 80’s. Amee, who has a natural talent for colour and cut, honed her skills in Europe’s century old gemstone capital, Idar Oberstein. Looking at gems every day trained her eye for quality and value, and Amee developed a reputation for selecting and securing the finest stones. She then returned to her beloved Penang to build a jewellery wholesale business that became synonymous with quality and integrity. Amee soon began to design herself. “It was a natural progression, ” she explains. “When I see wonderful stones I can’t help but think about how to help them sparkle and shine.” She remembers her first sale. “I’d designed a piece to wear to a Chinese New Year’s party – a string of 21 rubies, set in gold. The night had barely begun when a fellow guest asked if I could make one for her too. Rubies are my birthstone, and I guess they proved lucky for me because that experience gave me the confidence to found Amee Philips Fine Jewellery Design.”