April 23, 2025 |
BLINGIN’ IT IS TEN’S ONLINE SERIES WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT THE INNOVATORS AND CHANGE-MAKERS OF THE JEWELLERY WORLD.
From hand-carved wax dreams to heirlooms with heart, Samantha Siu is transforming the art of adornment into a passport for the soul. With A Love Affair, her latest collection, the New York-based fine jeweller draws on a life shaped by travel, heritage and creative instinct. Each piece is crafted to hold a story, map a memory and like a cherished souvenir, mark a moment in time.
Rooted in New York City and inspired by the world beyond it, Siu’s work melds cultural symbolism with personal narrative – a perspective shaped by a childhood spent between the hum of garment factories and the quiet rituals of traditional Chinese medicine shops. It was there she developed an eye for detail and a deep sense of intention. Jewellery, for Siu, is a love story – told and lathered in gold.
At the heart of her design philosophy is the ancient craft of wax carving. Each clasp begins as a miniature sculpture, hand-sculpted at the design table to conjure memory through architecture. The process is both meticulous and meditative, often unfolding over several months. Once carved, the designs come to life in China, where gold-plated chains are paired with a kaleidoscope of stones: red agate, deep aquamarine and milky jade, each one hand-selected and set by master artisans in Thailand, like a jewel box of passport stamps.
Each piece is fully adaptable, with signature clasps that can be worn on either side – inviting a playful, personal way of styling. Take The Rising Phoenix Necklace, on one side, chunky aquamarine stones – a nod to Samantha’s birthstone – and on the reverse, a meticulously carved 925 silver phoenix. Worn either way, the necklace becomes an emblem of duality – and of Siu herself, whose design language spans cultures, emotions and eras.
In A Love Affair – and in all of Siu’s collections – every detail is storied, sculptural and bold, marbled, faceted or pavéd. Siu’s creations are made for the curious romantic and the modern nomad alike: those who wander the world with reverence and carry its beauty close to their chest (as necklaces) or wear their hearts on their sleeve – or wrist (as bracelets).
Here, we catch up with Siu to talk about storytelling, symbolism and the alchemy of turning memories into tangible gold.
ON HER JOURNEY INTO JEWELLERY
At the age of 13, my family coerced me into helping with the family jewellery manufacturing business through packaging jewellery for one cent a pop. It taught me how hard it was to make money and back then, I would foolishly waste my hard earned day’s wages on a piece of jewellery from a collection. It wasn’t until I went to jewellery school for jewellery design that I started to appreciate the process of design. There, I learned the intricacies of design, fabrication and wax carving. From that time, I was able to appreciate complex, intricate jewellery designs that not only sparked my interest but wonder.
ON HER GLOBAL INSIPIRATIONS
New York is where it all began for me, and it continues to play a pivotal role in inspiring my creative vision. In 2019, my business was officially launched, and since then, New York has been the brand’s home base. Though London is where the brand has propelled, New York is where the brand comes to life. We have also built a wonderful team in New York composed of girls from all over the world. We did not intend for that to happen, but we are very fortunate to have each of them working hard and supporting the brand. My team in New York brainstorms and executes our internal messaging that gets spread throughout the world. It is still the birthplace of the brand and where it all starts.
ON HER DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
All of my jewellery is inspired by my trips around the world with my first love. That messaging is so deeply ingrained into every piece and how we approach telling the story of each piece – they’re an intimate part of my life as well as those who wear them. It’s quite autobiographical. Creating the collection was cathartic and allowed me to practice art therapy. Everything means something when it comes to SSNY jewellery. For example, The Rising Phoenix Necklace, which is our brand’s logo, represents my birthstone and the fluidity of transformation and rebirth (Phoenix symbolism). When I created it, I was going through a lot of changes in my life: career moves, love and outgrowing some relationships. It is also the first necklace off of my A Love Affair collection that I designed and made. That is why, it is the first necklace in the collection.The stone’s serene blue colour reflects the harmony and renewal that comes with love and personal growth. I like to think of myself as the Taylor Swift of jewellery making.
When I design, I try to capture the essence of wherever I am. It is a way I pay homage to the culture and place I am visiting. I try to emulate motifs, colours, architecture, animals or nature in my pieces that have caught my eye and my heart. For example, in our eternity necklace there is green jasper made to emulate the koi fish in the pond I saw in Shanghai. The links have a bamboo like design and is made mostly of circles; made to symbolise the importance of circles in the Chinese culture. Each piece of jewellery is intentionally made to pay homage to a specific place I have visited.
Tactility is so important when I design the pieces. I always think about comfort and whether or not the pieces can scrape, poke, or if it is too heavy. We pay close attention to how each piece drapes, how it interacts with the body and how it feels against the skin to ensure an optimal wearing experience without compromising creative expression.
ON DESIGNING SUSTAINABLY
Being in the jewellery sector, we are aware that we are selling luxury goods composed of precious metals and organic resources. But we still emphasise sustainability through fighting overconsumption. We design pieces that hold lasting value and cultural, emotional significance by creating timeless jewellery that is interchangeable. We call this, “sustainability through design.” We try to contribute as much as possible, so we are all a little more conscious in the ethical fashion landscape. That is why we actively purchase carbon offsets from the open market to obtain our goal of being carbon neutral within the next few years. I recognise that it is still a learning process and I am always looking for ways to educate myself on how our brand can do better for the environment and for future generations to come.
ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MATERIAL NARRATIVE
As I mentioned before, the collection is quite autobiographical. For instance, as The Rising Phoenix Necklace was the first necklace off of the collection, The Gotham Nights Necklace tells the story of where I come from and where my first date with my first love. We then continue the story into China with The Eternity Necklace where I explore my roots and my family’s business. Then we explore Florida through The Eye-Shine Necklace where memories were made on our first domestic trip. Without giving away anything too personal, the rest of the collection takes you around the world as we galavant and fall more deeply in love.
ON HER CREATIVE PROCESS
Each necklace in the A Love Affair collection is crafted with meticulous attention to detail. We design the piece in New York and send our designs to our wax carver that is in China. Because wax carving has become a lost art in the jewellery field, we are very proud to support artisans that still practice this craft. This process requires months of precision. I personally pick out the gems that are sourced from around the world. My dedication to craftsmanship ensures that every piece tells a meaningful story, capturing the spirit of romance and adventure that defines the collection. After we create the clasp, our factory (located in Thailand) creates our bespoke chains and findings, hand chisels the frames to the stones and hand assembles the pieces. We have the privilege to transform a simple block of wax into something magnificent – a true representation of bringing ideas to life.
ON THE FUTURE OF SAMANTHA SIU
I am in the process of creating and releasing three new additions to the “Love Affair” collection. This would include three new necklaces as well as their corresponding bracelets and earrings. The newest additions pay homage to Iceland, London and Hawaii. This week, we launched in Selfridges alongside La Maison Couture! You can see and touch some of our pieces in real life. Please go visit when you have the chance!
Photography courtesy of Samantha Siu.
Samantha Siu
