Every piece of jewelry by designer Tim Tam Ong is a tribute to exceptional Filipino craftsmanship.
More than building a name for her brand, she supports local artists, advocacies, and professionals, clearly appreciative of the work put into services and creations. Tim Tam Ong products are 100 percent locally made.
Tim Tam makes sure that she does what she can to help her employees in terms of value formation and improved quality of life. In relation to her love of traveling the world, she also loves to visit different places in the Philippines, drawing inspiration from the things she sees and learns.
Inspired by a mother’s love for instilling appreciation for tradition, culture, and authenticity to her children, the Heirloom collection is designer Tim Tam Ong’s tribute to her two sons.
A celebrated fusion of classic and contemporary design aesthetics, she pays homage to the Filipino culture and arts from the conceptualization to the execution of each item in the Heirloom collection.
Nature’s artworks in the form of local raw materials, such as carabao horn, mother of pearl, and pearls, exclusively found in the Philippines became the catalyst for Tim Tam Ong’s design inspirations.
“As a designer, I feel that part of my legacy is to share the wondrous culture and arts of the Philippines to the whole world by making them accessible through jewelry,” says the jewelry designer.
She continues, “And as a mother, I feel I owe it to my sons to help them recognize and acknowledge their roots and their culture. Our culture is our fingerprint, it is what defines us and we should have more of it in our everyday lives. We need to preserve it and take inspiration from it to keep it alive.”
Meticulous, handcrafted designs are a testament to Tim Tam’s dedication to finding beauty in the ordinary and the obscure. Whereas most jewelries are quickly manufactured in the conveyor belt-run factories, hers are painstakingly crafted by passionate artisan hands. These are seen in the intricate jewelry designs. Not only are the pieces from the collection revolutionary, Tim Tam has put emphasis in making the jewelry flexible enough to be statement pieces for both casual and formal outfits.
“Each piece is exceptional but cohesive to the theme of the entire collection,” she explains. She further elaborates she oftentimes has to dwell upon the perfected design for days, months, even years until she feels she has created the ideal piece.
Her creative process in jewelry design is no exception—stones and their settings should form stories that tease the mind and taunt the senses.
“I love making women feel beautiful in what they wear, and these items can effortlessly be taken from daytime to nighttime. In terms of how I came up with the designs, I love to sketch, and most of the time, the best designs come from what I call ‘happy accidents’ from unexpected elements. I never repeat a design I’ve done in the past. I may make variations of a certain design, but never an exact replica. I believe in giving each wearer that distinct ownership of that particular design—because we are all unique and I think it’s marvelous to showcase that uniqueness we all have.”
Tim Tam also notes the growing appreciation of locally crafted products and services. “It is an opportunity for local artists and professionals to strive even better and show people what they are capable of creating. Every day is an opportunity to be better.”
She reiterates her mission, that apart from being an artist, she is foremost a mother and a Filipina. “I choose to work with talented Philippine artisans to allow them an opportunity to improve their lives. My mission is to create while also reviving and even preserving ancient traditions of the Philippines that are in danger of becoming lost.”
The Heirloom collection is exclusively available at Tim Tam Ong’s boutique at R2 Level Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Center.
For more information, go to www.timtamong.com, email ongtimtam@yahoo.com.ph, or visit timtamongpage on Facebook or Instagram.
