STORY OF CARATELL
Caratell, one of the finest haute joaillerie ateliers in the region, has been named top 10 jewellery designer in Singapore for 7 consecutive years. The main creative force behind Caratell’s success is Mr Michael Koh, whose everlasting passion is to create whimsical jewellery that is poetic in motion.
This maestro designers’ dedication to perfection pushes him to challenge innovation, ingenuity and authenticity. This simple belief was what led Caratell to win the Golden Crown as Singapore’s Luxury Jewellery brand at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards – Asia in 2015, awarded ‘Best Jewellery Designer of the Year Awards 2018’ - Jewellery Category by The Luxury Network International and Best Local Jeweller 2021 by Tatler Singapore.
At Caratell, each piece of jewellery is a vessel to express the designers’ story;
be it whimsical, avant-garde or minimalist; creations that are well appreciated by many reputable international periodicals as well as affluent individuals both locally and overseas.
Caratell was also the only jewellery brand to be featured in Channel News Asia’s
‘Branded for Success’ program. And in 2016, publication Jewellery Historian
featured Caratell in its 21st issue, alongside many other internationally renowned brands,
making it the only Singaporean jewellery brand featured to date.
To celebrate the joy of creation, Caratell published the first coffee table book
in 2012 – ‘Caratell Jewellery Collection’ that was well distributed internationally.
Just like Pablo Picasso said, “As far as I am concerned, a painting speaks for itself.
What is the use of giving explanations, when all is said and done?”
Every piece of work gives us a sense of satisfaction upon completion.
Every creation becomes an inspiration for the next, it’s ever evolving.
Design is a medium of expression, far more liberating canvas to explore creativity, composing a harmony of arts
and exclusiveness.
DESIGN ETHOS
In Caratell, we take pride in our designs and we believe inspirations are all around us from the tiniest venation pattern to natural phenomena, from poem to movie, from tangible to intangible, and the difference
between a piece of jewellery and a work of art.
All is about letting your imagination to take flight, capturing the essence of the subject, and
constantly pushing the boundary of creativity. Each creation should speak for itself.
If one takes too long to see the connection, then that is trying too hard.
Just like Pablo Picasso said, “As far as I am concerned, a painting speaks for itself.
What is the use of giving explanations, when all is said and done?”
Every piece of work gives us a sense of satisfaction upon completion.
Every creation becomes an inspiration for the next, it’s ever evolving.
THE MAESTRO DESIGNER
A Singapore multi-award jewellery designer, known for his spellbinding art-jewel creation that amplifies the gemstone at its best. Michael Koh showed exceptional flair in all art forms at a tender age. But becoming a jewellery designer was never a coincident, in fact jewellery is in his blood. His dad, a veteran in the trade, had a great
influence in him.
His passion in jewellery heightened when he won an international jewellery design award in 1988 at the age of 18, the youngest jewellery designer at that time.
Since then, he has won numerous other awards including the prestigious De Beers International Award,
a highly acclaimed award, as well as
other forms of arts competition.
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After graduating from LaSalle.SIA majoring in Jewellery design, he advanced his education in Bachelor of Arts (Silversmithing) from RMIT.
In 1995 he started his first atelier upon graduating;
at the same time, acquiring a new set of
jewellery making skills.
And in 2004, Caratell became a platform for him to fulfil his dream of creating a new era of art jewellery - transforming contemporary arts intofunctional jewellery. Although being well versed in design, fabrication and gemmology, Michael is a firm believer in lifelong learning and a hands-on artisan, he added the skill of lapidary to his already vast repertoire of skills, that attribute to engineer the wildest dream on jewellery in motion, creating a different dimension of arts meet artistry.
Being a perfectionist, he strongly believes in appreciating beauty at its natural form, pushed by this belief he uses only the finest, most pristine gems for his creations, where value appreciates overtime.
Preserving the art of traditional jewellery making and redefining it with a twist of modernization,
our mission is to create jewellery with multifunction or transformational features.
CARATELL TEAM
Caratell, a team of likeminded individuals with amply passions in jewelleries. Our designers are multiple award winners who are capable of creating versatile, unique and exclusive designs. Each is gifted with a unique talent and well versed in the
various aspects of jewelleries, hence in
assisting the customer in making the right decision.
BESPOKE
Our bespoke service does not only offer personalise services and unique creation, the more is that we put you in mind. From skin tone, physique, and personality, to your preferred style, we take priority in what best portrays you as an individual. By participating in the design process and exploring the possibility in terms of design element, gems selection, colour combination and versatility, we are creating a piece that you can truly claim as ‘yours’.
Join us in this memorable journey as we bring your ideas to life, where the pieces truly resonate with you – a meaningful conversational piece of art.
MATERIAL
All material used are precious metals and gems that uphold its value no matter how.
Such as gold, diamonds, sapphire, ruby or even some of the top rarest gems to be incorporated in the design. What can be more valuable with the combination of arts, craftmanship and
precious material?
CRAFTSMANSHIP
GEMS QUALITY &
MINING
With passion in search of rare and alluring gemstones, Caratell’s gemmologist travels the globe to gem bearing mines, ensuring only the finest untreated gems of marvellous brilliance are selected, and creating its own legacy.
This extra detail makes Caratell not just a jewellery boutique but also a gallery for unique and unusual gems, known by regional gem connoisseurs.
As we advance with technology, many traditional arts and crafts have become a dying art. Unlike computer aided design, at Caratell, every piece is meticulously handcrafted and possesses it’s own beauty from it’s perfect imperfections, just like us humans. Giving the piece of inanimate jewellery the breath of life and soul, we are making it truly one-of-a-kind.
Having our very own workshop operating in Singapore, that allows us to have a full control in production as well as IP protection. Every single step and procedure are overseen by Michael and the team of designers to ensure all creations are crafted accordingly, in order to achieve refined finishing with quality unsurpassed.
Our Journey led us to trading grounds and mines, where we have learnt greater insights of the exotic land
and characteristics of gems
ETHICAL JEWELLER
We have entered the era of sustainability. Many regard jewellery industry as unsustainable; for instance, deforestation caused by mining, exploitation of child labour, etc. That is also the very reason why we travel to the mines to understand the truth.
In fact, many mines are governed by law to refill the hole after mining and used for plantation. As far as we know, there isn’t any child labour in the mine that we had visited. Many do not know jewellery is considered more sustainable than fashion or handbag, as all the material can be reused to create a brand-new design.
This mean that you could revamp your sentimental grandmother’s jewellery, by just re-polishing, or combining all the old jewellery that is no longer in trend to create a new design. Gold can be melted and rework, where gemstones can be reset. Nothing goes to waste,
and lasts forever.
Caratell has a full disclosure policy which allows insights to the whole gem procurement procedure.
We believe in Conflict-Free diamond, therefore we ensure that all our source is legitimate and not involving in any form of terrorist funding.
On top of that, we are registered dealer under the precious stones and precious metals (prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing) act 2019 under Ministry of Law, Singapore.
FUTURE
Caratell also strongly believes in nurturing talented young designers by closely collaborating with some of Singapore’s most renowned local design institutes. Michael has also been a part-time lecturer in
jewellery design and fabrication for over nine years. Promising protégées are invited to
join Caratell’s outstanding team and are nurtured to their full potential.
Caratell will always strive to stay true to its core beliefs in the future years to come to
continue the legacy that Michael has strived to maintain..
