Hothouse gems

Macao-based jewelry designer Dora Tam unveils her latest collection of floral designs inspired by her love for Chinese brush painting. Rebecca Lo drops by to find out more.

Hands can reveal a lot about a person. Dora Tam's fingers are lean and efficient. She has an elaborate cursive tattoo on her right index finger. These are the hands of a person who does meticulous work. They are the hands of someone who doesn't mind getting down and dirty. Yet the tattoo alludes to Tam's love for the beautiful.

I remember when Tam first got that tattoo - it initially stained her entire finger blue. We had been friends for many years, and we try to catch up whenever I am in Macao. As we both studied in Canada, we initially formed a bond by sharing our respective memories of cold Ontario winters.

Tam grew up in Hong Kong's countryside enveloped by a close knit family where she was the middle child. She was encouraged to pursue what she loved as a career. When she was a teenager, she moved to Canada to study metallurgy and jewelry design in Barrie, a town about an hour north of Toronto.

After graduation, Tam worked for some of Hong Kong's most respected jewelers, including Tse Sui Luen (TSL). She was given many exciting projects and entered her designs in numerous competitions, culminating in her Diamond Tiara being honored with the De Beers Diamonds International Award in 2000. The ceremony was held at the Louvre during Paris' prestigious fashion week, and it launched Tam as one of 29 young international designers to watch.

IF YOU GO

Dora Tam Design
Rua do Regedor, 125 R/C, Taipa, Macao. 853-2825-6319.
www.doratamdesign.com.