Cover P.H. Hendry's fine jewellery and elegant collections live on today in a store helmed by third-generation owner, Suren Hendry (Photo: Daniel Adams/Tatler Malaysia)
P.H. Hendry's fine jewellery and elegant collections live on today in a store helmed by third-generation owner, Suren Hendry (Photo: Daniel Adams/Tatler Malaysia)
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Founded in 1902, P.H. Hendry’s fine jewellery and elegant collections live on today in a store helmed by third-generation owner, Suren Hendry
Imagine walking into your local jewellery store, browsing through historic collections that faintly hint at a bygone era. Imagine the store owner greeting each customer by name and making a genuine effort to learn all he could about first-timers walking through the door. Chances are, this is the scene you’ll still discover today when you visit P.H. Hendry’s quaint store in Jalan Tun Perak, Kuala Lumpur.
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Like a carefully preserved scene from the past, the store has classic wooden panelling on the walls and glass display cases lined with crystalware, silverware collections, and other precious homeware articles from Europe and around the world—some to be cherished as family heirlooms spanning generations and others from collections commissioned by the Malaysian government as gifts for foreign dignitaries and royal functions. The jewellery on display is a mix of ornate diamond-set items or hand-engraved heritage pieces adorned with Sri Lankan yellow sapphires and other precious gems, designed with the skill and expertise of master craftsmen from India and Sri Lanka. Tucked in hidden-away albums are sketches from the founder himself, P.H. Hendry, whose designs were once highly sought-after by the Selangor and Kelantan royal families of early Malaya. In 1929, P.H. Hendry received its royal warrants from the Negeri Sembilan and Selangor royal houses, also receiving its royal warrants from the Kelantan royal family in 1949.
Above The insignia inside P.H. Hendry's store
The insignia inside P.H. Hendry's store
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According to P.H. Hendry general manager and third-generation owner, Suren Hendry, a portion of the brand’s clientele still come to the store with requests to create bespoke jewellery, usually something ornate and unique as a wedding gift or a memento for some grand affair. “All our work is handmade. It takes about a week or two to create just one piece of jewellery,” says Suren, whose grandfather P.H. Hendry was born in Galle in the southern part of Ceylon. “There are a lot of technical details involved. Whatever clients bring to me, I like to take time to do it properly. It’s my passion.”
Suren joined his father at the family store at the age of 25. Thirty-one years later, he still runs P.H. Hendry alongside his sister, Ishani Shalika Hendry. He recalls learning a lot at his father’s side and enjoying the creative aspects of the process, especially working with clients to create unique pieces that meet their expectations.
“It’s a very interesting business to be in because it’s not just selling what we have in-store, but about catering to customer tastes, which differ so much from one to another. Through years of experience watching my father and what he created in the past that still exists today, I was inspired. We never threw away anything, not a single drawing. It’s all in the library, in albums which we still bring out to show customers today,” says Suren. “What we create still pertains very much to tradition, to elegance and the finer details. This is what I love about this business. I’ve learnt so much, not just through my forefathers but from my customers as well.”
A drawing from P.H. Hendry's album and sketch books
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With a frank grin, Suren admits that P.H. Hendry’s walk-in customers don’t come in droves, so it’s possible to devote a longer time to understanding each client’s needs and preferences. But times have indeed changed, and with it, customers’ tastes.
“People today want to create something fast, they want something instant,” Suren remarks. “Today’s designs are more minimal compared to the more ornate pieces my grandfather used to make. But at the end of the day, we don’t limit ourselves to one particular fashion, it ultimately depends on what the customer wants. I am somewhat of a jack of all trades. If you want me to draw, I’ll do it. If you need me to design something from scratch, I’ll design it. I may not have an arts or gem design degree (I studied business management), but I did watch and work with my father in the business for 12 years, and I started thinking the way he does when it comes to jewellery.”
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Above Suren Hendry joined the family business when he was 25 years old (Photo: Daniel Adams)
Suren Hendry joined the family business when he was 25 years old (Photo: Daniel Adams)
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With the benefit of jewellery-making in his family’s legacy, Suren acknowledges the role his late grandfather played in his own career and life journey. “My grandfather passed away six years before I was born. To me, he was an amazing gentleman. Among the Malayan Sinhalese community, he became a sort of patron; he was well-known in the community and very well-established. People from all walks of life knew him and knew that if they wanted something exceptional, he was the one to ask. P.H. Hendry became a household name of trust built through the years.”
Even with three decades of experience in this industry, Suren admits that he learns something new each day, relying on his customers and on the Internet to keep up-to-date on the latest jewellery trends. Despite the passing of time and the rapidly changing demands of the market, P.H. Hendry stoically continues to carve out its presence as one of Malaysia’s earliest jewellers, serving somewhat as a reminder to modern-day buyers of the notion that great things still take time in a world that’s always in a hurry.
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Photography: Daniel Adams
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Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
