JNA Awards 2012 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

50 JNA AWARDS 2012 L’Dezen Jewellery Co Ltd: Payal Shah Imagine what a year can do. You can set up a jewellery company, design a handful of riveting jewellery pieces, showcase your collections in nearly a dozen trade shows worldwide, grace the pages of international fashion and jewellery magazines, develop a marketing strategy, and untiringly brace for an even busier year ahead. Those are just a few of what Payal Shah, founder and director of L’Dezen Jewellery, has accomplished since she set up L’Dezen Jewellery in May 2011. The daughter of two diamond merchants, design-savvy Shah developed a love affair with diamond jewellery at a young age. “I grew up around the industry since my parents are diamond merchants who now double as my diamond suppliers. I used to attend shows from a very young age helping my parents at their booths. I understood the concepts and theories of this industry from experience,” said the 22-year-old entrepreneur, who first made waves in Hong Kong when she won first runner-up in the Miss Jewellery Hong Kong 2011 pageant. Her parents have instilled in her a keen appreciation for jewellery design, which she honed at the University of Westminster in London where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Architecture & Urban Design. Her creative background and passion for diamonds formed the backbone for the jewellery company she set up last year. “After studying in London, I went back to Hong Kong and joined a hospitality design firm where I created furniture pieces for several luxury hotel brands,” Shah recalled. “While working there, my parents asked me to create jewellery pieces for our family business and that’s how it all started. Within six months, I created about 60 designs, which debuted in Las Vegas. The designs were a big hit among buyers and that’s how I decided to set up my own jewellery company.” Category: Young Leader of the Year (Age 30 or below) Country/Region: Hong Kong