By Diana S. Zimmerman
As a young girl growing up in China, Nar Wong could not have dreamed that one day she would become a much sought after designer of exquisite jewels. Today, her stunning one-of-a-kind pieces are sold through her store, Tivoli Jewels, in San Gabriel, California and collected by clients around the globe.
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- Pink, yellow, and white diamond and gold earrings and necklace.
Nar Wong spent her early career working as an electrical engineer in China, but destiny was about to play its hand. In the 1970s, she moved to California to join other family members, and settled in the Chinese community of Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles. At that time, Wong had no idea that a casual get-together with a few friends would change her life forever.
“I was visiting some friends,” she explains, “when I learned that one of them had opened a jewellery store in Chinatown, and that another had opened a jewellery booth in Downtown LA. They suggested that I go into this type of business as well.”
While the idea was certainly appealing, she had absolutely no training or knowledge of the industry. With a bit more encouragement, however, Wong eventually decided to follow her heart, and in 1979 started her own company.
When she first decided to go into the jewellery business, she faced many obstacles, including a lack of knowledge of the industry as well as a lack of experience in selling her pieces.
Yet, undaunted and determined to succeed, she hired an experienced salesperson, who helped her learn sales skills as well as a basic knowledge of jewellery. “I also studied a great deal about gemstones and learned from other established jewellers about the jewellery trade.”
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- Yellow and white diamond, sphene, and gold pendant.
Eventually, Wong developed a rather unconventional way of creating strong relationships with her clients. “I would meet them in the comfort of their home, and was able to get to know each one on a personal level. This allowed me to see their world and the things that hold a special place in their hearts,” she says. It also allowed the jeweller to gain a better understanding of her customers’ tastes, preferences, and needs.
“It soon became clear to me that I needed to focus on creating stunning individualized jewels for my clients. So I immersed myself into learning and understanding the process of high-end customization.”
With the notion that the “customer comes first” as her guiding principle, Wong grew the business by earning the trust and loyalty of her ever-expanding client list, one person at a time. “The most important trait a jeweller can have,” she insists, “is the ability to really put people first.”
Over the years, Nar Wong has developed many close and meaningful relationships with her clients, and enjoys nothing more than searching the world for exquisite gems, then designing the perfect one-of-a-kind piece for them. “It is often like a treasure hunt,” she muses, “travelling the globe to find that special or extraordinary diamond or gemstone.” And travel she does, sometimes to very remote areas. “One of my more memorable trips took place in the late 1980s,” she recalls. “I was travelling with my daughter and my cousin to Yunnan, China in search of rubies and jadeites. From Kunming, which is the capital city of Yunnan, we took a local flight into Dehong Manshi airport, and then rode for two hours into Ruili, a border city between China and Burma. During those years, Burmese dealers often brought their jade to Ruili to sell. After seeing the goods, we were ready to fly back to Kunming, but learned that a bird had hit the plane’s propeller, and it would be a week before we could get another flight out.”
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- Front view of pink and white diamond and gold necklace.
The only other transportation was a 30-hour bus ride, in the pouring rain, across a narrow winding mountain road. “It was like a 30-hour rollercoaster ride,” she says, “and the antiquated bus was so overcrowded that many passengers had to stand the entire way.”
After a very difficult and uncomfortable trip, they finally made it back to Kunming. “We then headed to Hekou— a border city between China and Vietnam— in search of rubies. At that time, trade between Chinese and Vietnamese vendors was conducted along a halfmile long dirt road. When we returned, we had the stones tested and discovered that that some of them were, in fact, red glass!” It was an expensive lesson for Wong and her daughter—a lesson they have never forgotten.
“Through my travels,” Wong goes on to say, “I’ve had the opportunity to see and to experience many different cultures. I’m inspired by the diverse expression in the art of their jewellery.”
Her love of nature and vibrant colours also influences the design of her unique and remarkable pieces. And, in 2007, Wong expanded Tivoli Jewels to launch annual collections, showcasing an even greater number of spectacular, spectacular, trend-setting, and original works.
Nar Wong’s three children have joined her in the business. “My son, Michael, is very social, and oversees the sales and marketing aspects of the company. My daughter, Rosemary, is talented in interior decorating and does a wonderful job displaying the jewels, and making sure our environment is inviting to our clients. My daughter, Lisa, is quite creative and is involved with the designs. She also oversees the entire customization process, and travels the world with me to source the gems.”
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- Back view of the elegant pink and white diamond necklace with diamonds cascading sensually down the wearer’s back.
It is this teamwork that Wong feels has contributed to the incredible success of her company, which, to this day, still specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces, pieces that are as unique and exquisite as the world Nar Wong has created.
