The Vault: Karen Soh on Tiffany & Co, Jean Schlumberger and collecting modern heirlooms

For the Singapore-based aesthetic doctor, jewellery is deeply sentimental. She often reflects on the remarkable journey each piece takes—from a rough gemstone hidden within the earth, to the hands of artisans who transform it into something extraordinary, before finally becoming part of its owner's story. "When you wear a piece of jewellery, you add your personal life's journey to the journey of the ring," she says thoughtfully. "And when you give it to your children, you are telling them that story, which they will also add on to with their own." It is a philosophy that has quietly shaped her approach to collecting over the years.

Moments of Magic

Soh describes a pivotal moment in 2017, when she and her late husband were invited to Tiffany & Co’s Blue Book: The Art of the Wild high jewellery presentation in New York. A collector in his own right, he had developed an appreciation for fine jewellery from an early age, influenced by his mother. "My husband was a little obsessive when it comes to gemstones," says Soh. "If he didn't approve of a piece of jewellery, whether he paid for it or not, I wouldn't buy it."

Together, the couple spent years studying coloured gemstones, attending auctions and training their eyes to distinguish the exceptional from the merely beautiful. "What impressed us at the Blue Book event was that Tiffany was really into the quality of the gemstones," she recalls. "If Tiffany chose to put stone in the centrepiece of a ring, you knew this was the best."

Yet what stayed with her wasn't simply the gemstones. "I learned to appreciate what craftsmanship was," she says. "Tiffany’s designs really are a different level of creativity, finishing and intricacy." The experience fundamentally changed how she collected, shifting her focus from exceptional gemstones alone to appreciating jewellery as a complete artistic creation, where craftsmanship and design are as important as the stone itself. The first Tiffany & Co high jewellery ring she purchased during that New York trip remains among the most treasured pieces in her collection. Made in platinum and yellow gold, the ring is set with a 5.47-carat paraiba tourmaline, yellow diamonds and tourmalines.

“We had such a great time,” she recalls. “The whole experience and all the emotions from that time comes with that piece of jewellery. When I wear that ring today, I feel very blessed.”

Jewels as Art

Among the designers Soh has come to admire most is the legendary Jean Schlumberger. Joining Tiffany & Co in 1956, the French-born designer transformed the house's creative language with his exuberant interpretations of nature, drawing inspiration from everything from fantastical sea creatures and exotic birds to flowers and foliage. More than half a century later, his whimsical yet technically masterful creations remain among the most sought-after in the world of high jewellery.

Curiously, his designs weren't quite love at first sight for Soh. "The first time I saw his enamel bangles, I thought, 'Wow, loud,'" she says, laughing. "They were bright, colourful, bold—there was nothing subtle about them." But appreciation, she believes, often comes with experience. "As with most art, you kind of grow into it,” she says.

Today, Schlumberger's work occupies a special place in her collection. "You see the designs and they're instantly recognisable," she says. "You wear them because you appreciate that design ethos and the execution of it." She points to the extraordinary level of craftsmanship hidden within every creation. The Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany Sea Star brooch in Soh's collection, crafted in platinum and yellow gold and set with diamonds, beautifully illustrates this artistry. Its articulated elements move with remarkable fluidity, while the diamonds appear to emerge organically from the gold rather than being secured by conventional settings.

"It's the amount of detail," she explains. "Every interaction between the gemstone and the gold—it's not just a prong. There's always more to it." An avid diver for more than 35 years, Soh is particularly drawn to Schlumberger's whimsical interpretations of the sea, while his floral motifs speak to her lifelong love of botanical jewellery. For her, his creations occupy the same territory as great art, music and classic cars. "What pleases the eye and speaks to the heart stands the test of time," she says. "Schlumberger's designs are one of those."

Carefully Curated

As her collection has grown, Soh has become increasingly selective. "I've dichotomised," she says. Day to day, she wears little more than simple earrings or a tennis bracelet. But when she does add to her collection, it has to be significant. "I go more for design, more for presence. My husband and I never bought according to trends," she says. "We went by a lot of research, a lot of thought, a lot of seeing many stones before deciding on one. We also don't buy with the thought of selling, but it needs to hold value."

Ultimately, however, the greatest return comes not from appreciation in price, but appreciation in meaning. Perhaps no piece better illustrates that philosophy than a Tiffany & Co cuff currently being handcrafted for Soh. During the same Blue Book presentation in 2017, she fell in love with a fern-inspired cuff. Her husband encouraged her to buy it, but Soh ultimately decided against it, feeling it was simply too extravagant for that stage of their lives, when their children were still young.

The cuff was soon sold, but her husband never forgot it. Over the years, he continued to ask Tiffany & Co if the house would recreate the design for her. In 2024, his efforts paid off and the brand agreed to create a bespoke interpretation that is due to be delivered later this year. Making it even more personal, the one-of-a-kind piece will incorporate both Soh's birthstone, aquamarine, and her husband's, garnet—a tribute to the life they built together through a shared love of exceptional jewellery. Soh already knows exactly what the cuff’s future will be. Rather than assigning it to one of her four children, she hopes it will become a family tradition—loaned to every future bride in the family on her wedding day.

It is a beautiful example of how modern heirlooms are born: not because they are rare, but because they become woven into a family's story. To Soh, that is what legacy truly means. "It's something that one passes down to the next with intention," she says. "A piece of history that passes from one generation to the next."

Still, she is careful to place jewellery in perspective. “What you leave behind are your values," she reflects. "How you treat one another, and the respect you have for people and things around you—I think that's more important."

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