MEDALLISTS, JEWELLERS AND PURVEYOR OF FINE GIFTS
INTRODUCTION
The house of ROYAL INSIGNIA’s reputation began with its production of Orders, Decorations and Medals for members of the world’s Royal families and international ministries. It was the exacting technical expertise gleaned from medal making that enabled the luxur y house to apply its remarkable creativity to the world of hand-crafted fine gifts such as objets d’art gilded in gold and adorned with precious stones, and jeweller y. More than three decades later, ROYAL INSIGNIA continues to garner the patronage of Royal households and governments, along with connoisseurs and collectors, in over 25 countries. HORSE OBJET D'ART A gold gilded Arabian horse wears a saddle decorated with red coral beads. The horse rears beside a Frankincense tree dotted with white and green stone carved flowers. The objet is mounted on a black onyx base with malachite legs.
ROYAL INSIGNIA’s founder Ivan Hoe’s passion for collecting medals in his formative years has been granted full expression in a remarkable career, rich with memorable commissions, private confidences and unexpected journeys. As a testament to the house’s highly skilled designers and craftsmen, ROYAL INSIGNIA occupies a unique luxur y brand standing as Medallist, Jewellers and Purveyors of fine gifts.
“Ever ything at ROYAL INSIGNIA begins with a stor y,” says Ivan. “We believe it is an honour and duty to understand ever y requirement of our clients in order to help them realise the item they desire. We are on call ever y hour of the day to offer the utmost personalised service and to help capture their stor y. Ever y masterpiece we work on has a rich histor y that is meaningful to the client – a stor y told through gifts, not words, to be enjoyed for a lifetime and passed down in generations to come.’’ ROYAL INSIGNIA’s fount of experience is acknowledged by its many admirers around the world who share a deep appreciation of superlative artisanal skill. A strict adherence to the pursuit of perfection by its team of gemologists, designers and master craftsmen enables the most precise demands to be met, from concept and design to the realisation of the pièce de résistance.
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
RESEARCH & DESIGN Medal design is an art that requires not only an understanding of age-old honour systems but creativity in incorporating elements of the recipient’s heritage into a lasting insignia. ROYAL INSIGNIA's team of designers possess both knowledge and creativity. Extensive research and time is spent with their clients to understand their needs and requirements. The final design is a culmination of tradition and culture.
MOULD MAKING (CNC) The mould making process is one of the first few processes in medal making. Especially for high relief medals, a three dimensional design of the medal is created using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and the design is uploaded onto the in-house Laser Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine. Ever y crisp edge of the medal design is carved out to perfection and the finished mould is worked on further by the craftsman.
STAMPING With the medal mould now completed, the next course of action is the stamping process- A blank piece of metal is inserted between the stamping machine and extreme pressure is applied to the metal sheet. ROYAL INSIGNIA's experienced craftsman exercise exacting control over the pressure meter in the machine, ensuring that just enough pressure is applied to capture the intricate detailing of the design but not so much as to snap the sheet.
FILING Each medal is filed down to smoothen out the rough edges. This required effort and accuracy. This hand tool takes the form of a steel bar with a case hardened surface and a series of sharp, parallel teeth.
WELDING With a welding torch in one hand and a thin filament of filler material in the other, the craftsman melts the filament to form a pool of molten material between the medal and the ribbon holder. This pool cools off to become a strong joint, welding the medal bar securely to the medal.
ENAMELLING The vagarious nature of enamel makes manipulating it an art in its own right. Enamel powder is painstakingly grounded by hand and rinsed thoroughly to remove all impurities. The enamel powder is delicately applied to each medal and it undergoes the necessar y firing to reveal the brilliant shine of each enamelled medal. The enamelling process calls for extremely high standards of quality and meticulous attention to detail. The craftsman watches the kiln unwaveringly to ensure that each batch of medals achieve just the right shade of colour.
STITCHING Laying the final touches to the medal, the seamstress selects the perfect thread to complement the colours of the medal ribbon. Each stitch is carefully concealed so as not to distract from the overall beauty of the medal.
QUALITY CHECK ROYAL INSIGNIA's team of quality controllers maintain the most exacting quality control standards. Each medal is scrutinised for any flaws against a set of quality metrics decided on, in close collaboration with their customers. The craftsman work closely with the quality control team to ensure that quality standards are not only met, they are exceeded.
JEWELLER & DIAMOND SETTER 25 YEARS
MASTER DIE MAKER 30 YEARS
GOLD & SILVERSMITH 25 YEARS
“As a painter, I enjoy the challenge to capture the movement of life and its harmony in my art”
Designer RUSSIA
Designer BRUNEI
“I hope to create art that has spiritual significance to the audience by incorporating floral nature, geometry and calligraphy” Designer BRUNEI
Silversmith MILAN, ITALY
Silversmith MILAN, ITALY
ROYAL FAMILY ORDER OF THE CROWN OF BRUNEI, DKMB This Decoration is represented by a Sash Badge, Breast Star, Collar Chain, Collar Badge, and a Miniature Medal. 18 Karat yellow gold on colour enamel, adorned with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. The 8 pointed star is encrusted with fine belgium cut diamonds of near colourless quality.
MASTERY OF MERITS ROYAL INSIGNIA entered the luxur y industr y as a medal workshop supplying medals to established medal houses in Europe. During the early years of the house, Ivan made multiple trips to the workshops of these traditional Medallists in England, where he had the rare opportunity to observe the old masters at work, many of whom were nearing the latter periods of their careers and have not been succeeded in the industr y. The many hours he spent with these esteemed craftsmen gave him invaluable knowledge about the art of medals and the histor y and guiding principles of the British honours system. He was taught traditional manufacturing techniques and developed a keen eye for the aesthetics of these cast commemorative forms that recognise people who have made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving their nation, while also being works of artistic expression in their own right. The Most Gallant Order of Pahlawan Negara Brunei Second Class. This decoration is represented by a Sash, Sash Badge, Breast Star and a Miniature Medal. The badges are manufactured in 925 sterling silver with black enamel detailing, and 23 Karat gold coating.
The lasting influence of the Art Deco movement on medal design made a particular impression on Ivan and his interest in this influential period continues to this day and is reflected in the geometric forms and sharp colours of ROYAL INSIGNIA’s medals. The same Art Deco aesthetics are also found in some of the house’s objets d’art. During its early years, ROYAL INSIGNIA steadily developed its niche in the medal industries but its primar y customers were confined to medal houses in Europe. Unsatisfied with serving European medal houses, Ivan decided he wanted to engage with his customers directly. There were still so many untapped markets globally as Malaysia, Brunei and many countries in the Middle East also upheld the age-old tradition of Orders, Decorations and Medals.
Silver Jubilee of HRH, Sultan Azlan Shah Perak
(ABOVE)
Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak tries on a watch in a Royal Insignia Boutique assisted by Ivan Hoe (FACING PAGE)
DK AZLANI - HRH SULTAN AZLAN SHAH This decoration is represented by a Sash, Sash Badge, Breast Star, Collar Chain, Collar Badge and a Miniature Medal. The badges are manufactured in 925 sterling silver with purple enamel detailing. Encrusted on the 5 pointed stars are 405 fine cut natural diamonds of near colourless quality.
The second largest state in peninsular Malaysia, Perak, means silver in Malay and emphasises the state’s histor y as a tin-mining region. In 2009, ROYAL INSIGNIA received one of its most distinguished Malaysian invitations, from the Sultan of Perak, His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah, to design and manufacture the countr y’s investiture medals for an event to celebrate the silver jubilee of his reign.
His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah’s commission proved to be one ROYAL INSIGNIA’s more challenging projects. The Sultan was known to be an extremely detail-oriented individual, and one of his explicit instructions was for the sash to be tailor-made to each of his subjects. Since all of his subjects were VVIPs, arranging for a window in their schedules proved ver y tricky. One day before the investiture, the state organised a full dress rehearsal. Seizing the opportunity to have all the guests gathered in one location, Ivan mobilised the entire ROYAL INSIGNIA team of craftsmen. After an eight-hour drive from Singapore to the state of Perak, the team went straight to work and backstage was a flurr y of activity as the exact measurements of the over 100 medal recipients were taken before they moved towards the podium. With the measurements on hand, ROYAL INSIGNIA’s seamstresses worked overnight to make the deadline for the next day’s ceremony and ensure that each sash would fit its recipient like glove. The invaluable experience gained from this project enabled Ivan and his team to take on more challenging projects and ROYAL INSIGNIA remains extremely honoured to have served the Sultan of Perak.
The Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang First Class. This decoration consist of a Sash, Sash Badge, Breast Star, Collar Chain, Collar Badeg and a Miniature Medal. The badges are manufactured in 925 sterling silver with colour enamel detailing and 23 Karat coating.
UAE 40th Anniversary In the 1980s, word of the luxury house’s renown spread from royal and ministerial circles in Asia to the corridors of power in the Middle East. ROYAL INSIGNIA was commissioned by the UAE’s Presidential Office and Palace (Dewan) to design and manufacture medals to celebrate the UAE’s 40th anniversary in 2011. The house was required to complete a total of 60 medals within 14 days. In appreciation of ROYAL INSIGNIA’s excellent quality and ability to keep to the deadline, the Dewan presented Ivan with a certificate of appreciation. (ABOVE) Ivan Hoe receives a certificate of appreciation from officials of the Dewan (FACING PAGE) This medal consist of a Sash, Sash Badge and Miniature Medal. The Sash Badge and Miniature Medal is manufactured in 925 sterling silver with colour enamel detailing. A portrait of HRH, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is mounted in the centre of the badge and medal. A row of white diamonds borders the portrait on the badge.
UAE MATYR MEDAL This badge of honour is crafted out of 18K yellow and white gold. A border of 60 brilliant white diamonds in VS quality decorate the centre of the medal. Green and red enamel embellish the surface of the badge
SILVER JUBILEE Perak, Malaysia Instituted by the late Sultan Azlan Shah to commemorate His Highness' silver jubilee on 3rd February 2009. This medal is crafted out of sterling silver and gilded in gold. The portrait of the late Sultan is embossed on the obverse. The reverse is embossed with the royal crest.
GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE ROYAL BRUNEI ARMED FORCES Brunei Instituted by His Majesty,Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces on May 31st 2011. This medal is gilded in gold. The obverse in embossed with the portrait of His Majesty, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Royal Brunei Armed Forces logo is embossed on the reverse.
JOHOR COMMANDO MEDAL Johor, Malaysia
CORONATION MEDAL Johor, Malaysia
SULTAN IBRAHIM MEDAL Johor, Malaysia
JOHOR
Instituted by His Majesty, Sultan Ibrahim II, to commemorate his Coronation on 30th March 2015. Awarded in three classes: First class (Pangkat Pertama Emas-PSI ) in Gold , Second class (Pangkat Kedua Perak-PSI II), in Silver, and Third class (Pangkat Ketiga Gangsa-PSI III) in bronze.
60th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY Bhutan Commissioned to celebrate the 60th birthday of the 4th Druk Gyalpo (King of Bhutan), His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, on 11th November 2015. The obverse of the medal is printed with a portrait of His Majesty.
GOLDEN JUBILEE Brunei The medal was instituted to commemorate the 2017 Golden Jubilee of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. The flora motif decorating the circumference of the medal was adapted from similar motifs found on the royal crown. Each of the motif was designed with five petals to represent the coronation date (5th October, 1962) and His Majesty’s fifty years reign.
WEDDING GIFTS
(FACING PAGE) ROYAL WEDDING GIFT BRUNEI
The Doubling of Joy – Egg Objet d’art The egg motif, a symbol of fertility, is one that often appears in the house’s unique wedding gifts. Designed for the 2004 wedding of Brunei’s Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, this example of an egg objet d’art consisted of a large dome carved out of a solid piece of natural rock crystal weighing at least 20kg. Gemstone flowers surrounded a portrait of the wedding couple within a bejewelled frame in the centre of the egg. This piece, as requested by a Bruneian business identity, was challenging to achieve. The master carver commenced on the creation by chiselling away at the rock crystal to form the egg shape. Subsequently, excess rock crystal within the egg was painstakingly removed to create a hollow space for the flower arrangement. Each step required deft movements and exacting craftsmanship, as any slip of hand would shatter the fragile rocky crystal dome. The walls of the crystal egg were eventually reduced to 10mm, and polished to achieve a smooth transparent finish.
WEDDING GIFT BRUNEI, 2004 Rock crystal egg with saw-pierced panels. The panels open to reveal a bouquet of stone carved flowers surrounding two picture frames with the portraits of the Royal couple. Garnets and tourmalines border the frame.
(RIGHT) ROYAL WEDDING BRUNEI, 2004
GIFT
A gold gilded egg opens to reveal a bouquet of flowers set with diamonds and semi-precious stones. The objet d'art is mounted on a lapis lazuli base.
A SECOND DELIVERY FOR THE CROWN PRINCE’S WEDDING
(FACING PAGE) FLORAL BOWL
(ABOVE)
Stephen Green, former chairman of HSBC, presents the wedding gift to the Crown Prince and Princess of Brunei.
To be able to create one remarkable wedding gift for a Royal wedding is an honour but ROYAL INSIGNIA had the pleasure of being responsible for two gifts for this special union in 2004. Most of ROYAL INSIGNIA’s customers are private collectors and ministries but the house is also enlisted by globally recognised corporations seeking inspired official gifts. HSBC commissioned this objet d’art to present to the Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah. The egg was gilded in gold and opened to reveal a flower arrangement embellished with diamonds and semi-precious stones. Former chairman of HSBC Holdings, Stephen Green, flew into Brunei to personally present this objet d’art to the Crown Prince.
BHUTAN ROYAL WEDDING
(ABOVE, LEF T)
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan (ABOVE, RIGHT)
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan (FACING PAGE)
ROYAL WEDDING BHUTAN, 2011
GIFT
The gold gilded objet d'art features a portrait of the Royal couple bordered by rows of white topaz and citrine. A bhavacakra is designed above the Royal portrait, pavĂŠ wih garnets, pink tourmalines, white topaz, and citrines.
Everlasting romantic bonds have been observed with impeccable consideration by the luxury house, who continually demonstrates a sensitivity for poignant wedding gifts. In 2011, ROYAL INSIGNIA was invited by the Kingdom of Bhutan - the last Shangri-la on earth - to assist with a gift for the Royal wedding of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to Jetsun Pema. Commissioned by his subjects, the wedding gift design was inspired by traditional Buddhist symbology and the bhavacakra (wheel of life), which represents the essence of Buddhist teachings, featured prominently. Gilded in 18 Karat gold, the piece was set with a resplendent mĂŠlange of precious stones including diamonds, yellow sapphires, rubies and citrines.
ROYAL WEDDING GIFT BRUNEI
DIPLOMATIC GIFTS
(FACING PAGE) PLAQUE UNITED ARABS EMIRATES 2014 Commissioned by the UAE Armed Forces, this pair of plaques is plated in gold and silver respectively.
(ABOVE & FACING PAGE)
Brunei Mosque BUILDING MODEL BRUNEI This mode of the Sultan Oman Saifuddin Mosque is crafted out of sterling silver. The minarets of the model are gilded in gold and a miniature ceremonial boat rest in front of the model.
THE FIRST FORAY OUTSIDE THE WORLD OF MEDALS In 1998, ROYAL INSIGNIA received an intriguing royal request from Brunei, where the installation of its Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah was about to be celebrated. A massive ceremony was to be held to mark the occasion and the Royal Family wished to distribute a precious gift to each of the attendees – a beautiful silver box that would contain sweets and cakes prepared by the Royal kitchen. It had been a tradition for the palace to hand out dried meats, sweets and cakes during royal functions, for guests to enjoy on the long journey home, and this custom can be traced back to when transportation was very limited in the country. Prior to this time guests from all over the kingdom travelled hours along rivers and jungle tracks in order to partake in Royal festivities. Impressed with ROYAL INSIGNIA’s work as Medallist, the Royal Family of Brunei anticipated that a project of this nature would be an ideal utilisation of the house’s experience dealing with gold, silver, and precious gemstones. Ivan was appropriately intrigued and appreciative of the proposition, he had never undertaken anything of its kind and he was eager to find out if the specialised and intricate craftsmanship of ROYAL INSIGNIA’s medal making could be harnessed in an extraordinary gift. And indeed this consummate skill led its workshop arsenal to produce an outstanding creation - A set of three silver boxes to be distributed to guest of the Royal event. In his later years Ivan would develop a reputation for being extremely exacting and detail orientated. His designers would recall being urged by him to add meaning to a gift by incorporating within its design elements personal to its recipient. This fixation on a gift's design was already apparent in the house's very first fine gift commission. The set of gift box presented to the Crown Prince's installation featured a traditional Bruneian motif – the ayer muleh – derived from the elements of nature or the flora and fauna of the land. The motif consists of semblances of plant sprouts, ferns and leaves, reflecting the vitality of the natural world, and it originated from handicraft designs, including silverware, created in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan’s water village area, Kampung Ayer. The design is also wavy and flowy, evoking the movement of water. The project was not only notable as ROYAL INSIGNIA’s first application of its creative and technical prowess to fine gifts but also in terms of its magnitude. It was the first instance the luxury house had to manufacture a design in such large quantities (a total of 12,000 boxes were ordered) and in such a short time span. Since then, Royal Insignia has been called upon to craft diplomatic gifts for royalties and head of states. The same exacting craftsmanship used on their medals is applied to the crafting of these meaningful gifts, laden with history and culture.
BESPOKE PISTOLS ROYAL INSIGNIA was entrusted by the organising committee of BRIDEX 2009 (Brunei Darussalam International Defence Exhibition and Conference) with the creation of a pair of fully operational gold gilded handcrafted pistols to be presented to His Majesty, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and His Majesty, King Abdullah II of Jordan. For this most apt gift for the rulers, both military men themselves, the house partnered with the famed Swiss company SIG Sauer, one of the world’s most established manufacturers of small arms. When the pistols were ready, the house’s founder flew to Switzerland to test-fire them himself. The pistols encountered some problems when they were about the leave Switzerland. The plane had to fly across India’s air space en route to Brunei, and due to India’s regulations, ROYAL INSIGNIA was not able to obtain a permit to fly the arms through the country’s air space. This caused a huge delay in the project’s schedule. “We were prepared to engage two members of the security department with a license to carry arms to fly into Switzerland and out again just so that the pistols can reach their intended destination in time ” recalls Ivan. “Fortunately, a series of diplomatic calls were made on our behalf, to a favourable outcome, and the pistols arrived in time for the presentation.”
(ABOVE)
HRH, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei receiving the bespoke pistol during the opening ceremony of Bridex 2009. (FACING PAGE)
BESPOKE
PISTOL
AND KRIS BRUNEI, 2009
Gold gilded fully operational pistol and kris. Both items are engraved with traditional Bruneian motifs. The Sultan of Brunei's crest is displayed prominently on the barrel.
GCC SUMMIT 2010 DELEGATE BOXES In 2010, ROYAL INSIGNIA was commissioned by the UAE’s Presidential Office and Palace (Dewan) to create a box to be distributed to delegates attending that year’s GCC (Gulf Corporate Council) Summit. The GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Each panel of the pentagon box featured one of the UAE’s latest architectural achievements.
(FACING PAGE)
GCC SUMMIT, GIFT UAE, 2010
DELEGATE
A silver pentagonal box opens to reveal five individual compartments. The top of the box is decorated with a blue semi-precious stone.
BUILDING MODEL
The new Parliament Building of Majlis Oman crafted out of sterling silver and gilded in gold. The model is slated on a lapis lazuli base
(RIGHT)
GIFT SET Brunei Presented in a black leatherette box embossed with the Royal crest, this gift set consists of a tie clip, a pair of cufflinks, and a writing instrument decorated with the silhouette of the Istana. (FACING PAGE) TASBIH GIFT BOX This blue lacquered box consists of three tasbihs in black onyx, malachite, and lapis lazuli.
(FACING PAGE)
Objet D’art Gold gilded canons flank a pair of clocks that suspend from malachite pillars. The objet d’art is further decorated with a spray of roses carved out of rose quartz and green aventurine.
AWARD United Arab Emirates, 2017 This gold gilded award commissioned by Arabian Super League. arms of the award decorated with embossed stars.
was the The are two
(FACING PAGE, ABOVE) AWARD BRUNEI, 2014 Crafted in Sterling Silver, this award features a silver globe with gold animal detailing. The award rest on a black onyx base.
FINE GIFTS
100 YEARS OF RUYI In Chinese tradition, the Ruyi is a curved scepter believed to bring its beholder good luck. The flower branches in this objet d'art is cleverly curved to assume the shape of a Ruyi. Rose quartz flowers with amethyst stamens decorate both ends of the Ruyi. The entire piece is mounted onto a flat rock crystal base embellished with the house's beloved art deco motifs.
FROZEN DREAM In 2005, ROYAL INSIGNIA accepted an opportunity to explore a creation that radiated with life when it received a private request for an item to decorate the interior of a Royal residence. The family desired an objet d’art to display within their private palace quarters and Ivan was only told that the piece would be placed where the family members gathered in the evening. ROYAL INSIGNIA was permitted to choose the creative direction of the project but was cognizant that a particular member of the family had a love for all things associated with the world of flora.
FLORAL OBJET D'ART Lightly enamelled sterling silver flowers with pearl stamens intersperse with sprays of blue topaz. At the flick of a switch, each flower glows from light blue to warm red.
As the house’s designers regularly draw from a variety of floral and fauna inspirations, this brief was to prove a perfect meeting of each party’s aesthetic influences. Frozen Dream was the result of many hundreds of hours of gruelling work put in by ROYAL INSIGNIA’s team of designers and craftsmen, namely its dedicated silversmiths who painstakingly oversaw each lily crafted out of sterling silver to encapsulate the essence of winter. The petals were lightly enamelled and adorned with lustrous pearls while the stem and buds were 24 Karat gold plated. Illumination was also an inaugural feat of brilliance for the house; the team conferred with a lighting engineer to create the startling vision of lilies that lit up from inside and were timed to glow with a different hue, ranging from winter’s icy blue, to amber red, representing the warmth of a fireplace.
(RIGHT)
OBJET D ART A red crystal bowl rests on a globe flanked by gold gilded palm leaves. The bowl is decorated with the two oryxes gilded in 22k gold and rhodium. The objet d'art is slated on a malachite base. (FACING PAGE)
DAGGER A horse head carved out of rose quartz sits above the dagger's rock crystal blade. A single red ruby marks the horse's eye. The centre of the dagger guard is dotted with a black onyx cabochon. The dagger stand is carved out of red jasper.
(LEFT) FLORAL LAMP An array of pale pink enamelled and craved stone flowers are displayed beneath the lamp shade. Flower stamens are set with
semi-precious
stones.
Amethyst beads line the bottom ring of the lamp shade.
The
lamp is mounted on a rock cr ystal base. (RIGHT) FLORAL OBJET D'ART A pair of rose quartz vase displaying stalks of orchids carved out of amethyst, rose quartz and agate. Stamens decorated with semi-precious stones hide within the flower petals.
(FACING PAGE) HORSE OBJET D'ART An Arabic horse gilded in 22K gold rests on a white agate base. (LEFT) PHOTOFRAME Rock crystal frame embellished with semi-precious stones
BESPOKE DINNER SERVICE Brunei Commissioned by the royal family of Brunei for use at royal functions, this dinner service consist of bone china white wares with gold encrustations of the Bunga Simpur and the royal crest. Crystal goblets designed in the same style complete the dinner service.
TOP, LEFT) Banquet tables at the Istana Nural Iman set with bespoke white ware, flat ware, and crystal ware.
BESPOKE DINNER SERVICE Bone china white ware decorated with gold encrustations of the royal crest. A sterling silver lay plate and flatware series designed in the same style complete the dinner service.
Clocks were always of special interest to ROYAL INSIGNIA’s founder, who had long been intrigued by these beautiful time-keeping objets d’art; the ability of a master craftsman to incorporate delicate clock movements into a piece also featuring semi-precious stones was a constant fascination to him. And again, he wanted to take up the innovation challenge. Partnering with a renowned clock movement supplier in Germany, ROYAL INSIGNIA made its first step towards unveiling its own range of precious clocks.
(FACING PAGE)
CLOCK Red enamelled flowers border the circumference of the clock. The clock face is decorated with turquoise detailing. The clock is mounted on an engraved gold base.
As with its objets d’art, ROYAL INSIGNIA’s background designing medals with strong Art Deco aesthetics has also influenced the way its designers approach clocks. The house likes to use geometric motifs associated with the Art Deco movement and the period’s sway also extends to the colour combinations employed, with a preference for very strong contrasting colours such as red and blue, and black and blue. Semi-precious stones are used extensively in ROYAL INSIGNIA ’s clock designs and sometimes a whole block of onyx or malachite will form the base of a clock or the pillars might be carved out of rock crystal. “Clock manufacturing is an extremely precise craft,” says Ivan. “To fit the delicate clock mechanism into the clock requires deft hands on the part of our goldsmiths. But our many years working with medals that come in miniature sizes provided us with the required experiences.
(RIGHT)
CLOCK A two pillar rock crystal clock mounted on a rock crystal base. (FACING PAGE)
CLOCK A two pillar rock crystal clock with lapis lazuli clock face. The clock is mounted on a rock crystal base.
(RIGHT)
CLOCK A gold gilded Arabian horse stands above a lapis lazuli pedastal. The pedastal top is layered with a black onyx slab, carpeted with pierced through arabian motifs. Four silver tassles hands off the sides of the pedastal. (FACING PAGE)
CLOCK A gold gilded desk clock mounted on a lapis lazuli base. The clock face is decorated with mother of pearl detailing.
CLOCK A golden canary set wtih semi-precious stones perches on a gold gilded cherry blossom tree with blooms carved out of pale pink semi-precious stones. The green aventurine pagoda sits on a rock crystal mountain. The objet d’art sits on a deep blue lapis lazuli base.
CLOCK Adorned with semi-precious stones, a phoenix soars above a rock crystal mountain which sits beside a beautifully carved green aventurine Bonsai tree. This objet d’art is mounted on a deep blue lapis lazuli base.
(RIGHT)
CLOCK A black onyx clock with grey mother of pearl detailing hangs between two silver pillars. The pillars are decorated in the art deco style with onyx, malachite and gold detailing.
(FACING PAGE)
CLOCK An Arabic inspired clock with a gold gilded oryx. The two sides of the clock are decorated with pearls Red garnets and pearls decorate the bezel of the clock. (RIGHT)
CLOCK A gold gilded horse head rests on a clock with black mother of pearl detailing. 22K gold tassels hang on each side of the timepiece. Set against a rock crystal panel, the clock is mounted on a red jasper base.
(FACING PAGE)
EARRING Intuit Collection 18 Karat rose gold earring with diamonds, rubies, amethyst, and rutilated quartz.
RING Intuit Collection 18 karat rose gold ring with yellow sapphires, rubies, and rough amethyst.
Jewellery, or “wearable objet d’art” as Ivan was fond of calling it, was a natural step for ROYAL INSIGNIA. At that point, the luxury house’s fine gifts had assumed the characteristic look that ROYAL INSIGNIA would later be known for; Semi-precious gemstones of varying hues remained a focal point in all its pieces. The house boasts not only excellent goldsmiths but highly-regarded lapidarists who can make even the most stubborn of stones assume a desired shape and form. Their exquisite craftsmanship is apparent in the delicate stone carved flowers that decorate ROYAL INSIGNIA’s objet d’art. Like its objet d’art, the house’s jewellery collections feature a plethora of different gemstones. Each piece is created with a profound respect for a stone’s natural form, and an appreciation for its natural flaws, believing that sometimes these flaws should be showcased rather than removed or hidden. It was this belief that led to the creation of the house’s most iconic collection - Intuit.
(RIGHT)
RING Intuit Collection 18 Karat white gold ring with diamonds, pink sapphires, rubies, and rough smoky quartz. (CENTER)
RING Intuit Collection 18 Karat white gold ring with diamonds and rough lemon quartz. (LEF T)
RING Intuit Collection 18 Karat rose gold ring with diamonds, rubies, yellow sapphires, and rough amethyst. (FACING PAGE)
RING Intuit Collection 18 Karat rose gold ring with diamonds, pink and yellow sapphires, rubies, and rough amethyst.
Like ROYAL INSIGNIA’s floral objets d'art, its inspired jewellery collections reflect a love for semi-precious stones and the fluid forms of nature’s artistry. The launch of the signature Intuit collection in 2007 boldly showcased the versatility of gold revealed by the dexterity of its craftsmen who formed gold around stones instead of cutting them to fit a mould. It also exemplified ROYAL INSIGNIA’s quest to be at the forefront of cutting edge jewellery.
(LEFT)
EARRING Intuit Collection 18 Karat white gold earring with diamonds, yellow sapphires and rough amethyst. (FACING PAGE)
EARRING Intuit Collection Intuit Collection, 18 Karat yellow gold earring with diamonds and rough citrine.
(RIGHT)
NECKLACE 18k white gold necklace with diamonds
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NECKLACE 18k white gold necklace with fancy tourmalines and diamonds
The promise of jewellery that pushes boundaries and challenges mindsets was fulfilled with the house’s first rough quartz collection’s celebration of the raw beauty of this natural mineral. The avant garde line saw each piece’s setting taking its cue from the unique shape of the raw stones, with no two raw stones the same. The aim was to best show off a stone’s inherent beauty and colour. This selection of stones ahead of settings turned the tables on the traditional approach of making the stone conform to a concept. One needs a keen eye and an intuitive feel for each stone in order to determine how the stone should be mounted. The rough stones, which were further enhanced with the use of semi-precious and precious gemstones such as the rubies, sapphires and diamonds, were centre stage from the very start of the creative process. Another influence on the Intuit collection is architecture, with some of the pieces evoking the lines and structure of the frame of a house, the angle of a roof, or the shape of an architectural dome.
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RING Intuit Collection 18 Karat white gold ring with diamonds and rough amethyst
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EARRING 18k white gold earrings with diamonds
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RING 18k white gold rings with emeralds and diamonds (LEFT)
RING Intuit collection 18k white gold ring with rubies, tsvourites, and rough rose quartz
TIARA Johor, Malaysia Commissioned by Princess Aminah for her wedding, this tiara is crafted in white gold and set with white and yellow diamonds.
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RING 18k white gold ring with black and white diamonds (LEFT)
EARRING 18k white gold earrings with diamonds
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EARRING 18k white gold earrings with blue sapphires and diamonds (RIGHT)
EARRING 18k white gold earrings with diamonds
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RING Johor, Malaysia Designed and crafted for the Johor Southern Tigers football club, this ring is set with 148 blue sapphires to represent the 148 goals the team has scored from 2014 to 2016. The ring shank is decorated with the hexagon-pentagon pattern found on a football. The team’s tiger mascot is pavÊ with diamonds.