Yusrina Abdullah
The Real Jewel of Brunei
With immense talent and creativity, Yusrina Abdullah has reached
greater heights in the world of
jewelry design. Enya Bijoux, an
online jewelry store owned by
Yusrina, has been around for quite
a few years now. Before it became a
huge business venture, it started
with a simple vision from a brilliant
mind. While still a high school
student, Yusrina started to draw
jewelry designs. When she had
enough savings, she created her
first piece of jewelry. It was a
simple beaded bracelet that she
made for herself.
Her bracelet received praise and
admiration. Her friends wanted
one for themselves. Years later,
this has turned into a huge jewelry
business. The journey is not an
easy one though. She has to endure
a lot of challenges just to make a
name for herself. It was her victory
at the Creative ASEAN Jewelry
Design Competition in 2015 that
made her a huge name in the
industry. She bested other ASEAN
competitors when she designed a
piece, which she named, "Homegrown." Later, she gave honor to
Brunei when she represented the
country at the 56th Bangkok Gems
and Jewelry Fair.
Making her way
to the top
As a student, Yusrina confessed
that she was not really as studious
as the other students. Although she
can't say she did well in her academics, she already has a passion
for the arts ever since she was
young. She knew what her true
calling was when she created her
first bracelet. Unlike other jewelry
designers, she did not have a
degree in design. She was selftaught. She learned via tutorials
and reading books. By working
hard to improve her skills, she
managed to create beautiful pieces
over the years. She didn't stop
trying until she learned difficult
design techniques.
Yusrina's jewelry collections are all
hand made. She's a unique
designer who does not put her
ideas on paper. She starts by
having a vision in her mind that
she tries working all the way until
the piece is done. She loves thinking outside the box when it comes
to her designs. She also loves
combining vintage designs with
modern twists.
"Homegrown"
Photo from Yusrina's Facebook Page
from Japan, Australia and
Singapore. She also keeps the price
of her products at an affordable
range. While her online store is
thriving, she still hopes to have an
onsite store where people can come
and see her collection.
People love her designs because
she keeps up with the trends. Being
a young jewelry designer, she
knows exactly what millennials
want. She has captured their
attention. Her designs also transcend cultures and boundaries. She
knows how to create pieces that are
appreciated across the globe.
Making Brunei
proud
Image courtesy of Google.
The piece that gave her a major
break is Homegrown, a design
meant to reflect the beauty of the
environment. She incorporated
twigs that were incased in sterling
silver and black diamonds. There
were a lot of elements used to
ensure that the piece was a stand
out. Homegrown is a piece of
jewelry that speaks to your heart.
This is why it became a major head
turner during the competition.
A major success
Given her talent and creativity, it
did not take time before her online
business became huge. She now
has plans to expand her business to
serve more buyers, such as those
Yusrina Abdullah is working hard
not just for herself, but for her
country. She believes that people
have yet to fully discover her
beautiful country. She wants to put
Brunei in the world's creative map
and shine a positive light on it. She
knows there's still a long road to
travel and she's still got a lot to
learn, but she has confidence. She
believes that there will be more
competitions along the way and she
just loves healthy competitions.
She wants to send a message to her
fellow youths to not give up on their
dreams. For those who have a
vision, they have to work hard to
achieve what they wanted. They
must not let other people stop them
with their harsh words and criticisms.
ASEAN Life • MAY 2016 | 27