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Kevin Kwan’s best breaks are usually spent in jewelry stores.
That was decades before Kevin Kwan wrote his 50-year-old novel, Lies and Weddings; before his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy became a bestseller; before Jon M. Chu, the director of the Crazy Rich Asians movies, announced he would direct its Broadway adaptation. Even before Kevin Kwan was the picture editor for Elizabeth Taylor’s 2002 book, My Love Affair with Jewelry.
“In a weird way, jewelry has always been part of my life,” Guan said during a recent video call, recalling being “dragged to jewelry stores around the world” by his mother, grandmother and aunt. He grew up helping these women select gemstones — sometimes falling asleep under the store counters.
In “Lies and Weddings,” characters gossip about a group of mothball-sized pearls that are said to be either worth millions or fake. Guan said descriptions of jewelry have become a feature of his work, with strangers often showing off their jewelry to him.
In an edited and condensed interview, Guan discusses his own jewelry, specifically an Art Deco-cut imperial jade ring that he doesn’t wear but has been close to his heart since it was passed down to him by an aunt who helped foster his love of writing.
Q: Tell us about this ring.
A: This ring belonged to my grandmother: a diamond-shaped imperial jade with three small diamonds on either side. What really gives it an Art Deco feel is the silver band; it’s detailed to look like a tied ribbon. I think the jeweler would describe it better.
When I first opened the box and saw the ring, I was stunned because it was a massive piece of Imperial Jade. They say jade has to be worn against the skin because it reacts to oils and heat and actually gets greener the longer you wear it. This ring is such a beautiful, rich green.
Q: Whose grandmother did this ring belong to? How did it come to you?
A: My grandmother. Her name was Egan Oh. She gave the ring to my aunt, her middle daughter, Mary Kwan. Mary then left the ring to me in her will. Mary unexpectedly passed away a few years ago, which was very sad. So the ring is lovely, but also bittersweet because in a sense, I wish I had never had it. But in another sense, it does tie me to my family in a very meaningful way.
Kevin Kwan’s Art Deco Heirloom
Q: Were you aware of the existence of this piece before you received it?
A: I was lucky enough to see some of my grandmother’s items, but I didn’t really own them until this ring came into my hands a few years later. This ring is very special because it’s the only link I have to her and to a world that doesn’t really exist anymore. Singapore in the 1930s was her heyday; she would dress up and wear these beautiful clothes and the most beautiful shoes from Paris. That world and that luxury and elegance is gone. Now it’s all about athleisure and quiet luxury.
Another thing that really means to me about this ring is that it was passed down from my grandmother to my favorite aunt. We were very close. We used to live in the same house as my grandparents. She really, truly fostered my love of reading and writing and challenged me.
Q: Have you ever worn this ring?
A: It has spent most of its life in a vault. But it has a deep symbolic meaning, and knowing where it is is reassuring. I also don’t wear jewelry. I don’t like to display anything ostentatious. I’m a lot like my aunt in that respect. I don’t wear conspicuous brands.
But I have nothing against wearing a jade ring with diamonds, and I think it would be cool to wear one day. Harry Styles wears a pearl ring, right?
Q: Do you plan to pass it on?
A: I am just the custodian of the rings for this generation. I am not a pharaoh. I do not believe in burying precious objects in the ground. And to me, objects have their own life. They are destined to have another life after you die, right? At the end of the day, they are just objects. For me, rings give me meaning and memories. These are the most important things, and they will be with me forever. – The New York Times
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