Jewellery makes people feel beautiful and brings outfits to life, but Samantha Siu is a jewellery designer aiming to do something completely different. The Asian-American artist creates stories from her unique pieces that connect to all her poignant experiences, from working with her family in the industry to wanting to help make a change for those less fortunate around the world.

Samantha was seemingly destined to be in the jewellery industry.

Her family were manufacturers making jewellery for department stores, and she grew up watching and understanding how to make beautiful pieces. From the age of 13, she would help out in the factory, but starting from the bottom by helping out with orders. But as she got older, Samantha was given more responsibility as she learnt about the industry from the bottom to the top, and that everyone in the company was important and helped the company to grow.

After so much experience in the industry growing up, Samantha had seen it all, but when it came to her own range, she wanted a unique selling point that would set her apart.

For Samantha, this took the form of wax carving.

At design school, Samantha took a wax carving class because it was something her family used often, and she believed it “changed her life” and the trajectory of what she wanted to do. She could see her vision in three dimensions just by looking at the block, something she didn’t know wasn’t common, as her teacher said she did everything “a bit more intricately than my classmates“. Samantha also focuses on the intricacy of mechanisms, and it’s why for many of the pieces she creates, the clasp is the most important, a reflection of the way things open and close. She explained, “I try to focus on the most seamless way of opening and closing.

It is these aspects of each piece that Samantha creates which make the jewellery so special, stemming from a desire to keep classic techniques alive during an era where technology is trying to take over everything. This is the focus, even if it takes time; Samantha shares that each piece can take months to make because everything is done by hand.

“It was the start of me trying to preserve the tradition of making jewellery and teach people that that tradition is more valuable than the technology that we have created because of its imperfections and it makes it more special because you have someone put hours on a piece and you can see the motion in it like art therapy.”

Everything Samantha does is with the wearer in mind.

While most jewellers design pieces for a certain purpose, Samantha specifically wanted something that could be worn in multiple ways, which led to the concept of linkable jewellery: from necklaces to bracelets, and even earrings. In many of the pieces’ designs, there is the option to tailor it to each person or event, enabled by this idea of linkable customisation. The ability to connect them to create something new using bespoke engineering also makes the range size-inclusive.

When speaking to Samantha ahead of London Fashion Week, she explained that there would be a new piece revealed, one that she had been working on for an entire year that would pay homage to Iceland.

In line with Samantha’s brand, the clasp was carved from wax by hand and cast into a statement piece. Samantha explained that she worked with a carver overseas and described the process of making something so important as part of a collaboration. She was still involved in the design, but with so much to do in her business, she gave her carver the time and freedom to do his art, whilst still being part of every step, whether it’s checking the thickness or length of the piece, or looking at the wax mould before it was cast in silver.

“Though designing is a huge part of it, that in itself is singular and personal process and then making it now for me, is very collaborative so it’s understanding whose making it and the time they need to make it to meet the deadlines.”

Whilst Samantha’s many thoughts are inspiring, and painting a beautiful picture of all the hard work that went into the necklace, they are nothing compared to seeing the piece itself in real life.

Walking into a room in full swing for London Fashion Week, Samantha gave viewers an exclusive first look at the piece dubbed “Celestial Icicle”: one that had so much blood, sweat, and tears put into it.

When viewing it in person, there is something ethereal about the piece. It’s not just jewellery; it is a story told in the smallest details. It tells the tale of Samantha’s travels, reflections around serenity via the perfectly imperfect aquamarine stones, the chain aiming to represent fishing rope, and even the church clock showing the time 9:30AM, the time she was born.

Samantha scrutinised her own piece before me even as she presented it, but in a way that is more than clear that the people who wear her pieces are always the priority. Perhaps it is the born jeweller within her, in the manner she positioned the necklace in different ways, observing how the necklace fitted and even reflecting on small details such as precisely where the main clasp sat.

This necklace was a homage to Iceland, but seeing all of Samantha’s pieces laid out was proof that each piece has its own narrative.

Every single one of the statement necklaces told a special story, with many linked to Samantha’s experiences in different countries. This included the darkness and mystery of “The Gotham Nights,” inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge, the sparkle of “The Glistening Desert” to represent Vegas, and the elegance of “The Eternity,” which connected to Samantha’s experiences in China.

Like the “Celestial Icicle,” all the stones used look uniform, but the imperfections and differences between the pieces prove how unique each necklace is. While it’s Samantha’s stories being told, seeing them elicits different emotions and feelings in different people. Even the pieces that Samantha designed to be multi-purpose stood out as she demonstrated first hand how the bracelets and earrings link together to create different styles.

To hold them and experience how they work only adds to the beauty and impact of the Samantha Siu brand.

It meant that the words Samantha said when she spoke to me couldn’t have been more true: “When you play with it [the jewellery], you really understand what the message is and what we’re vying for, and the quality and craftsmanship of it all.”

Samantha’s collections are, without doubt, stunning, but there is an added beauty in how her collections link to the global causes she supports. Although many brands have the odd links to charities, Samantha explained that to her these connections were the “soul of the company,” and the reason she created Samantha Siu.

As a teenager, Samantha found a passion for missionary trips she took to China and other parts of Asia to teach English, but they also made her realise just how privileged her life was compared to others’. While doing this work was fulfilling, Samantha knew she would need money to help. Coincidentally, at the time, Samantha returned to work at her family’s business, and while she was there as a merchandiser, she started making her own line.

Amidst her busy schedule, Samantha would always go back to China to do the missionary work every year. When her own company was created, and she had more funds, she would make her own trips. Since then, she has continued to do amazing work, including helping with sustainability microloans in Cambodia, medical pop-up clinics, and education camps. While customers might not know all these little details, buying a Samantha Siu piece gives back without you even realising.

“It’s hard to ask people for money but when you purchase something you already love, then you are already doing good because it’s this unconscious action that you’re becoming part of. I hope this allows them to learn, to understand it’s more than just jewellery, it’s jewellery with impact.”

However, as beautiful and unique as Samantha’s pieces are, coupled with their strong messages, she has faced many setbacks as a woman of colour in the industry. Starting young, Samantha revealed that she wasn’t taken seriously, and if she went to manufacturers by herself, she was turned down, with some even trying to hit on her. Whenever she refused, the deal fell through.

She even had to bring a man with her to be seen as more “legit.” However she took it all in her stride. Some people might have given up, but Samantha continued to fight for respect, and with greater presence in the industry, she can now use it to her advantage.

The hardships Samantha has struggled with as a woman of colour in the industry are also linked to her dreams for the future. Male designers dominate the jewellery industry, but Samantha wants to be the next WOC David Yurman, a designer who also made many sculpture-like pieces. But while his signature was the chain, Samantha wants hers to be the multi-versatile nature of the designs. With a desire to expand the brand internationally, Samantha’s focus also continues to be on her non-profit activities, wanting everything to remain pure and organic to the company’s purpose.

“I want people to understand jewellery can go beyond just a pendant strung onto a chain. I want people to understand that earrings can be more than just a stud.”

For Samantha, the brand isn’t just creating jewellery; it is making a difference to so many lives through her craft.

Samantha Siu isn’t merely a jewellery brand. Through her pieces, she creates stories for each individual that also have an impact on the wider world.

TEAM:
Creative Director: Maddie Armstrong
Culture & Fashion Editor: Sonal Lad
Editor-In-Chief: Aimée Kwan