“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime and we won’t be making crowns like these very often. There will not be a second piece so soon,” said Ng.
“We felt very proud and honoured that we could do something like this.”
The tiara, made entirely of 18-carat gold and embellished with 838 diamonds – including 38 square-shaped, 14 oval-shaped, 19 pear-shaped, and 767 round brilliant-cut diamonds – made its first appearance at Princess Azemah Bolkiah’s wedding last year.
The brief that was given by Princess Azemah was a tiara that was “modern, but with a classic look” that drew attention to the bigger diamonds, Ng said.
Ng then put together three carefully crafted designs to present to the family, but it was almost love at first sight for Princess Azemah, who picked out the design that later became the crown worn by herself and Princess Anisha.
“The piece she chose – compared to the other two – is a very simple and classic design, with the bigger diamonds popping out and has a floating look,” Ng added.
Ng and the team had been receiving commissions from the Brunei family to set and design jewellery pieces long before being tasked with the tiara’s creation. For more than 20 years, they have produced pieces ranging from bracelets to earrings to even diamond gloves for the royal clan.
Belinda Chua, the managing director of Flower Diamond, described it as hard-earned trust that took years to build.
“Roslind has designed many things for the family and the queen could trust that she could deliver. They used to meet and buy from international brands in London and jewellers there. So it was a long relationship and trust that we have earned,” she said.
“We’re very honoured to have been invited to the wedding – a lot of royalty and leaders from around the world were there. The way they planned the wedding – even the flower arrangements, which I’ve never seen anything like before – was so amazing.”
What will forever be etched in their minds is when they were invited to take a photo alongside the happy couple, which gave them a chance to reflect on the journey they have been through, from the tiara’s conception to its creation.
“We didn’t have a chance to be near them [most of the wedding] so the moment we could join them for a photo was very precious. Not anybody can stand next to them and take a picture,” Chua said with a laugh.