Amberozia Ltd
- HKGCC Membership No. :
- HKA0791
Amber: An Ancient Gemstone
When it comes to jewellery, gold, diamonds or pearls usually spring to mind. One gemstone that has been appreciated for its colour and natural beauty since Neolithic times is amber, yet today, few people appreciate it. Nancy Chui, however, is an exception.
She launched her business Amberozia in 2011 to re-introduce this elegant, long-forgotten gemstone to Hong Kong and the world. Despite no prior experience or knowledge about the jewellery business or amber, she founded Amberozia with her Anglo-Polish friend Alicia Kelly, both of whom love amber.
“I still feel mystical when I look back at how I got here today by promoting amber to the world,” she said. “Alicia and I visited an amber exhibition in Poland, and I found it saddening that such a stunning gem was still unfamiliar to the Asia market.”
At the time, the Polish government was planning to promote amber internationally, and introduced Nancy to Alicia as a local contact point in Poland and Europe. The partnership went very smoothly, and soon after Nancy was appointed ambassador to China by the International Amber Association (IAA). With her amber ambassador title, she began to focus her efforts on developing the amber market in Hong Kong.
“Our customers are the “sophisticated masses” – people who have an appreciation for gemstones,” she said. “Amberozia aims to provide customers with a diverse choice of authentic amber products in different styles to match their tastes.”
Amber’s window into the past
Amber, a form of a fossilized resin of ancient pine trees, can have a history dating back 40 million years. Amber got a boost in Jurassic Park, when a mosquito trapped in Amber contained the blood of dinosaurs, which was used to clone dinosaurs. It is obviously science fiction, but it does highlight the mystical appeal of amber.
Like gold or diamonds, amber has an investment value as it is a natural gem. Those with rare inclusions such as insects or plants, or those with special patterns or rare colours are sought-after collectors’ items.
Besides being turned into jewellery, a very avant-garde type of product is amber art. Amber was used as a means of expression in art pieces and this is the most high-end appreciation of amber. Although few Chinese appreciate amber today, ancient pieces of amber art are displayed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
From Amber to Amberozia
Amberozia has a small team. Alicia looks after the European market, while Nancy looks after the Hong Kong and Asian market. Nancy said the company operates under three core values – passion, professionalism and efficiency.
“We have three staff, and although they may not have an extensive knowledge about amber, they have a passion for the appreciation of amber. This is how we can deliver sincere customer services. We all learn knowledge about amber on the job,” she said.
She is also working to promote amber through seminars, as well as engaging art and design students. “We want our future designers to know and consider using amber as their material for design. There are professional amber designers in Europe, but there are very few in Hong Kong,” said Nancy.
In 2012, Amberozia organized the Baltic Amber Festival in Hong Kong. With fashion shows, exhibitions, lectures and workshops, the festival enabled the public to learn about how amber’s is created, its scientific value as well as appreciate this golden gemstone.
Future plans
Amberozia has opened retail stores in Hong Kong, the first being a retail store at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in 2014, followed by an Amberozia concept store in Causeway Bay.
“We are also preparing for a visit from our designer partner Jacek Ostrowski, and will also exhibit at the Hong Kong Jewellery Show, and Baltic Amber Festival (HK) 2015 in November. At these events, we will present a collection of fine amber jewellery and exquisite artwork that come with the ‘wow-factor.’ We are also in discussions with the Government and official organizations to present in Hong Kong next year an amber exhibition under the theme: ‘East Meets West’.”
Company: Amberozia Ltd
HKGCC Membership No.: HKA0791
Established: 2011
Website: http://www.amberozia.com
Contact: (852) 2668 6196
