Behind the bling at DeGem

One of DeGem's signature pieces, the Dragon & Phoenix bangle takes more than six months to create.

Lots of blood and sweat go into DeGem’s show-stopping pieces.

JEWELLERY is more than just diamond and gold. It’s art,” says marketing manager for DeGem, Au Yeong Siew Pheng. Behind her sat the professional gem setter, whose forehead glinted with sweat as he filled in the tiny niches of a gold bangle with diamonds with a tweezer built for this purpose. Less than one millimetre in size, these gems were hard to handle – setting them required a microscope, the concentration of a skilled marksman and perfect eyesight.