For decades, luxury has been governed by strict rules. The value and beauty of a diamond follows a set of grading criteria: how clear, unblemished and colourless a gem is. Commonly known and accepted conventions passed down for generations. Today, however, jewellery is more expressive, and people are embracing freedom as opposed to following in the mould of tradition. At Singapore jewellery brand Twomorrow, founder Evelyn Chung has embraced this concept, rewriting the codes of beauty. Last week, the brand launched Unbounded, its first ready-to-wear collection consisting of 50 one-of-a-kind asymmetrical, avant-garde pieces.
“Unbounded is not born out of a rebellion, it’s born out of the longing of wanting to feel more like ourselves. Each piece is irregular, which we call a ‘limited edition of one’,” explained Evelyn of the collection, which is also the first chapter of a design language that celebrates the art of imperfection. “We don’t correct what is different, we build with it instead,” Evelyn said.
The idea behind Unbounded was a question about these rules of jewellery that Evelyn had revisited over several years: “Why do we spend so much time trying to fit into expectations when there aren’t any to start off with?” She began exploring, she said, “what happens when control is loosened in a way where forms and lines don’t need to match, and can move freely”.
When I asked Evelyn about the piece from the collection she felt most connected to, she picked up without hesitation the Untamed ring. Through a combination of artistic bravery and audacious experimentation, the ring embodies the collection’s boldest expression. A 3.01-carat cushion-cut champagne diamond is set in its centre on a yellow gold bezel, and its platinum band with an organic shape is stippled with salt-and-pepper diamonds, and with a row of white diamonds on the sides that accentuate its biomorphic curves.
“When we first designed this piece, I wanted to bring together all the elements of salt-and-pepper, champagne, and white diamonds, textures, forms and polish. When the final product came out, I remember thinking to myself: this is much more unconventional than I expected. I even wondered to myself whether people would understand it,” said Evelyn. The design, contrary to her fears, found resonance with her clients. “I think that’s why Untamed feels so personal to me,” she reflected, “because it gave me the confidence to trust my instinct a little more.”
When she started Twomorrow in 2021, after a career in banking, Evelyn worked primarily from a fascination for salt-and-pepper diamonds. The approach, she explained, was to offer a new perspective. “The industry saw inclusions as flaws to minimise, but I saw them as characters worth celebrating.”
With this first ready-to-wear collection, though, she shared that the focus has evolved from gemstones to design. And while she started off feeling a responsibility to convince clients of the value and beauty of salt-and-pepper diamonds at the beginning, she’s since changed her mind. “Not everyone will connect with unconventional diamonds and that’s perfectly fine. We’re not trying to change everybody’s minds, we’re trying to create a space for people to feel ready to be drawn to individuality, authenticity and self-expression” she said. Twomorrow is in the midst of a creative evolution, though it has established a visual language for itself. “Certain themes have appeared time and time again,” remarked Evelyn of the asymmetry, texture, negative space and organic forms that are integral to the brand’s designs. “We try to see the tension between who you are and who you ‘should’ be, and then try to come up with a design that translates it into jewellery,” she explained of her creative process.
The brand’s unique perspective on diamonds is not limited to just their colours and inclusions. Cut and shape, too, are unconventional at this jeweller. “The coffin cut was requested by one of the first few clients we had,” recounted Evelyn of the macabre and unique shape that has become one of the brand’s most popular. While not the most obvious choice, coffin-shaped diamonds have been requested for wedding bands as a symbolic representation of the promise of fidelity ‘til death do us part.
One more novel cut that has been met with enthusiasm by her clients: phallic-shape diamonds. While it might align with the unconventional spirit of Twomorrow, its popularity was nonetheless a surprise to Evelyn. “The penis cuts have all sold out now because of pride month,” she said. With a laugh, she added that penis-shape diamonds in bigger sizes have sold and the only gem of this shape she had left is a small one. “They get fascinated and intrigued because nobody really takes diamonds and cuts them into these forms,” she said of the response. “At the end of the day, we embrace individuality and self-expression.”
Seeing as precious gems in phallic shapes had found an audience, I asked if she had considered a counterpart to honour the female form. “We’re in the process of creating a female version, but in a jewellery form with some mini and accent diamonds,” Evelyn let on with a grin. “I think today people are more comfortable celebrating themselves and how they feel, even though it might be private or even a taboo.”
I couldn’t quite leave Evelyn’s spellbinding shophouse atelier, either, without discussing the topic of lab-grown diamonds. She told me that while salt-and-pepper diamonds can in fact be created in a laboratory, their draw and appeal are the natural patterns that have been formed over millions of years and not designed or manufactured. “Those inclusions are marks left by mother nature. No two are ever identical, and that’s where the beauty lies,” she explained of her view. Though she isn’t opposed to lab-grown diamonds, she shared that for the moment Twomorrow has no plans to incorporate it into its collections.
After browsing Twomorrow’s Unbounded collection, my favourite piece was the Unapologetic ring. It is crafted with a sculptural silhouette, and an amalgamation of contrasting elements: a 2.80-carat marquise-cut salt-and-pepper diamond set proudly on a platinum bezel, on a yellow gold band, and meandering lines traced with white diamonds. Slipping the ring on my finger, I was struck by its weight. It felt like a representation of the expectations society places on us, while simultaneously and unapologetically resisting them—something I resonated deeply with.
Another highlight from the collection is a pair of salt-and-pepper diamond ear cuffs that can double as rings. Neither side of the pair is identical, which gives it an endearing and organic look. With a curvature reminiscent of tentacles, it wraps comfortably around the ear lobe like a cephalopod’s grip. It’s not a traditional comparison or imagery conjured by fine jewellery, but that may suit the unconventional attitude of this jeweller better.
