JEWELLERY has attracted me since I was in third standard and had my ears pierced.

My first pair of earrings were gold hoops, and later my mother gave me topaz earrings. I like topaz. It was once widely used in jewellery. But I lost the earrings. I should have kept them.

I started my collection only after I became an actress. You can say that collecting jewellery has become my hobby.

Mostly I create my own design by looking through catalogues. When I buy it, I usually go to Rich Gems and sometimes to AAA Gems and Jewellery.

I try to gather the gems before I make the design because it is not easy to find a batch of stones with uniform colour. Sometimes I buy them from a friend who auctions gems.

I am fond of large gems, which are particularly suited for big events.
When I attend the Myanmar Academy Awards ceremony, I design the jewellery I will wear before I find clothing that match its colour. Obviously, clothes are easier to find. At the last awards ceremony, I had to search for a cream-coloured chiek that suited my cream-coloured pearl set.

One time I borrowed a ruby necklace from a friend for a scene in a movie. It had to be re-shot three months later, but the problem was that my friend had sold the necklace! Its design was unusual and I knew I would not be able to find another one in a jewellery store. So I had to have a duplicate made looking at photos taken of the first scene.

I am always pleased when people notice the jewellery I design myself. It makes me feel proud when they compliment it.

I think jewellery is an important part of women’s fashion. It brightens our clothes and completes our beauty.

– Su Myat Hla