Family Jewels

Continuing the family legacy of providing jewels for the famed and fortuned, Hong Kong based Jonathan Abram's role seems like a genetic predisposition. P.Ramakrishnan meets the rising son, who's continuing his illustrious father's footsteps in the business. Picture by Hyvis Tong.


Looking at what's on display at the Ronald Abram boutique in Hong Kong, it's a glimmering array of diamonds, both coloured and white. "It's the stones themselves that are the most exciting part of being in the business," says Jonathan Abram, Ronald's son and director of Ronald Abram. "I've seen some of the most beautiful jewels in the world from the time I was 15; rare jewels, small and precious and huge ones - and combinations of both colour and cut. There was no pressure from my parents to become involved in the family business, but I came back to it after studying at University. When I was younger, I always accompanied my father to work and was constantly intrigued. My brothers and I heard about the business when I was at home and I developed a fascination for it. I guess it was just in my blood."

At stores across Hong Kong brace themselves for the festive and shopping season, sale signs are being displayed around the city as we speak. "It's certainly one of our busiest seasons. The diamond market is cyclical and we're optimistic that this is going to be a good period ahead. Shoppers in this city are sophisticated, and they are a very diverse group. The market is quite mixed when it comes to buying vintage (anything from the 1930s to the 1970s) or antique (over 100 years old) jewellery and there are many who appreciate it and buy it for its artistic value, because the designs can't be replicated. And then there are those who wouldn't buy pre-owned items because they're superstitious about it, as some cultures are."

Though you can't fault any of the pieces for their unequivocal brilliance, canary yellow and pink diamonds do seem to stand out in the smorgasbord of jewels. "When Jennifer Lopez got her pink diamond engagement ring, it got as much publicity as the Taylor-Burton ring. There was a rapid increase in sales in pink diamonds that year and jewelers everywhere credit J Lo for the publicity blitz that shone on the diamond! You would be surprised to know that the most visible celebrity group isn't comprised of Rappers or Hip-Hop stars, who do buy the real thing and then sing about it. The biggest buyers of diamonds in the celebrity circuit over the past few years have been Ellen Barkin and Oprah Winfrey. They are the stars who are the world's biggest buyers - although I don't know what Barkin's been buying since her divorce from Ron Perelman...".

Speaking of celebrities, Marilyn Monroe and Nicole Kidman crooned that "Diamonds are a girl's best friend", but legend has it that both wore fakes - or as in Kidman's case Swarovski crystals. Can you tell if a glistening rock is the genuine article or glass without a monocle? "In a second!" says Abram. "Any jeweler should be able to tell a fake very quickly. Quite simply, the brilliance of a real diamond cannot be replicated."


Picture by Hyvis Tong of model sporting Ronald Abram jewels.