15 years in, Suen's label has built itself a place in the hearts of customers thanks to peerless standards, timeless designs and exceptional service (Photo: Shahrill Basri/The Edge)
"You create a lot of joy by helping people with weddings, anniversaries and to purchase memorable gifts. And you do it so honestly — not the type that cuts people’s throats.”
Suen Lee wears a gentle, happy smile as she reads out this text message from a customer-turned-close friend. It is just one of many glowing sincere reviews that her eponymous company, Suen Jewellers, has received from happy clients over the course of its 15-year journey. Though still a relatively young label, the local brand has swiftly and effectively carved a niche within the Malaysian market, becoming synonymous with peerless standards, timeless design and exceptional service. “We’re not here to offer the cheapest because, when you’re the cheapest, you need to cut corners. But I like to conduct things honestly and give people value for what they buy. Customers come to us for quality and they know they are not fleeced,” affirms the founder and CEO.
As we are seated in the middle of Suen’s flagship location in Jalan Maarof, Kuala Lumpur, it is easy to understand how new patrons and loyal returners ease effortlessly into the warm yet luxurious atmosphere. Lee spots a regular in the teal Fope room, the Italian brand’s inaugural store in Asia, and immediately asks “How are the kids?” with familiar candour. Though she admits the path to success has been tumultuous, the Lee of today is far from a battle hardened, Miranda Priestly-esque maven — her words are wise and mindful, punctuated with sheepish laughs and charming anecdotes, eyes sparkling with a love for design and creation that has not dimmed one bit from the day Suen opened its doors.
In the rough
Getting into bling was never the plan. Lee began her professional life as a lawyer, chambering for one year and practicing for two. “I hated it! You ended up arguing over the smallest things,” she groans, recalling a particularly stressful episode when, as a student, she was tasked with requesting a postponement, only for the judge to nearly strike the case off. Dreading going to court just to declare people bankrupt made her realise the legal realm was not for her. It probably helped build character, though, she muses. “It gave me a very good foundation to understand and look for the pitfalls.”
When she departed law and joined her father’s electrical trade, her true calling became clear. “I’ve always enjoyed the business world more. With a company, you are expected to consider many aspects — sales, marketing, finance, manufacturing, design. There are many areas to knit and weave together. What you do in one part could affect the decisions in another.”
boutique.jpg
When she tied the knot and moved to Singapore with her ex-husband to re-expand her then father-in-law’s diamond business, she notes how shifting to the jewellery industry came rather readily to her — probably thanks to her art teacher mother’s creative genes. “I love design, especially furniture,” says Lee, fondly regaling us with her escapades acquiring gorgeous cushions, sofas and tapestries from South Africa, London, Normandy and Bath. “Sometimes the things I see also give me inspiration for what I want to do on the jewellery side. I think that’s a gift I inherited from my mum, she has a really good eye.” Ideas can come from anywhere, says the founder, whose visit to Italy’s Capri Island and Amalfi Coast was what influenced an all-aquamarine collection.
Despite her enterprising instincts and natural creative acumen, little could have prepared Lee for the chaotic time that was opening Suen in 2010. “When I took over, we were in huge turmoil. I had just come out of a divorce and was in a mess,” she expresses. Three young kids and a fledgling brand to take care of was overwhelming and scary. “As we settled down, I also decided to put in a lot of processes and have them documented so that if anyone wanted to leave, things could continue to be done in a certain way — a Suen way.”
Micromanaging every department and detail was simply unfeasible for one woman, hence why Lee sought certification by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2013. The company is ISO certified in the design, manufacturing and retailing sectors, the covered criteria of which include aspects like drawing, casting, model making, inventory control and even customer greeting. “There’s a proper audit every year, and any huge deviations get flagged. We normally pass it quite easily, which is very comforting,” says Lee. Implementing stringent standards from the get-go has ensured customers always feel secure in the value of their pricey purchases.
Of the first water
Lee’s uncompromising sense of integrity trickles down to the work ethics of the employees under her. “I’m very particular about honesty. For example, if there’s anything inaccurate in our accounts, I get quite upset. As long as I don’t have that trust, the whole department becomes ineffective,” she stresses. Likewise, clarity is not just for diamonds — it means being fully transparent with buyers too. “When it comes to products, I tell my team: If you don’t know something, customers will appreciate you admitting that and offering to find out instead of trying to pull wool over their eyes.”
Scroll through the testimonials on Suen’s website and one will invariably find endless praise of the helpful staff and tailored customer experience. “Selling is always about two things: trust and value. With a big maison, you trust the name more than the person selling it to you. But for us, it’s a mixture of both,” she elucidates.
Lee likens making a good first impression to a Singapore Airlines versus Malaysia Airlines greeting. “They’re both good. The former is polite, maybe more detached. The latter is warmer, slower; it comes across differently. If you are able to give the Malaysia Airlines greeting to everyone that walks through, you will get the walls down.”
This principled stance combined with an emphasis on mutual respect has enabled Lee to position herself as the highly effective head of a fast-growing label. “If you allow corners to be cut, you lose the respect of the team, and it’s a downhill slide from there.”
Heading up a company also entails recognising the talents of those under your supervision and applying them effectively, a skill she is now applying to her two sons who have recently joined the fray. “In business, there is also a lot of adjustment. Nothing is ever stagnant. Everything is always changing, and as a leader it’s about making sure the pieces are well-fitted together — to be able to grasp and make something of opportunities, wherever they may present themselves.”
Under pressure
fope.jpg
Looking from the outside, it is often all too easy to dismiss the true struggles behind someone’s glimmering successes. When the pandemic brought operations to a grinding halt, uncertainty had Lee seriously considering curtains.
“I find I’ve always had to address fear. My biggest hurdle has been overcoming that,” she offers soberly. A week or two after the MCO was announced and the store had to close, she found herself utterly terrified.
“I was in tears. I told a friend, ‘My children are grown up, I don’t need this. I could just close it’. And he said, ‘Suen, don’t be stupid. You have done so much to build what you have today, and there are so many families depending on you!’ which made me realise he was right. I toughed it out through the pressure and fear, and here I am.” Just like all those years ago when Suen was still finding its footing, it is in a supportive network of family, friends, employees and customers that Lee found strength and guidance.
When she had to resort to selling jewellery to clients just off of photos, the founder was awed by how many loyal clients were willing to support the brand in its time of need. “We have a customer, a New Yorker, and her husband bought her this watch — until today, she calls it the ‘Making Sure Suen Stays Afloat’ watch!” she laughs. “The Chinese have a saying, ‘A big tree offers shade.’ I think between my family and friends who helped guide me, I still carry their advice through to today.”
The pandemic era ended up an unexpected blessing. While it meant deferring both the planned rebranding to its current soft pink aesthetic as well as the launch of Fope’s first store, Lee had previously taken a digital marketing course and revived Suen’s social media strategy, allowing the company to gain recognition even during a troubling time. “We’re not very big, but I think that has really worked to our advantage because it allows us to be agile and change very quickly to market demands. I’m always researching, reading, looking at magazines and Instagram to get new ideas. Working with the team, we have somehow been able to push ourselves through and get noticed very well since then.”
Shining bright
seibu.jpg
Suen’s design identity has always been centred around rare gems, timeless collectibles and classics with a twist, which have performed stunningly alongside the younger generation’s growing preferences for simple, everyday wearables. The Diamond Riviera necklace, for example, remains one of its most coveted pieces, a perennial style that blends opulence with subtlety. “In this world where there’s just so much choice, you need to see where you can stand out a bit better. People have a lot of options and jewellery, it’s just about finding slightly different offerings all the time,” she says.
Since launching the Italian diamond brand Damiani last year, Suen has continued to make great strides in providing the Malaysian market with truly unique and expertly crafted treasures. She hopes to focus on consolidating these partners while keeping Suen itself niche and special. As its 15-year anniversary approaches, the local label will be unveiling a commemorative Cadillac-themed collection at its celebration gala on July 25. It has even collaborated with Fope to release a special edition bracelet for the occasion.
special_editions.jpg
Contemplating where the company will go from here, Lee says one goal stands as a priority — Suen Jewellers must be able to evolve as its own entity, not an extension of Suen Lee. “In the beginning, I was told by the brand developers that I had no other choice but to call it ‘Suen’ because I was the only continuing factor,” she explains. “When we refreshed [10 years later], I said, ‘Enough of hanging on to me, I want to grow the business independently of my face’.
“Last year, a lady at a press event came up to me after my speech and said, ‘I never knew there was a face to Suen.’ I messaged my marketing team right away to say, ‘Kudos, job well done.’ I want [Suen] to stand alone — and I think we’re getting there.”
The article first appeared on July 21, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
