Singapore jeweller’s crowning moment: designing Brunei Princess Anisha Rosnah’s tiara worn at her wedding

The tiara made of 18-carat gold and 838 diamonds first appeared at Princess Azemah Bolkiah’s wedding last year
Singapore jeweller Flower Diamond has earned the trust of the Bruneian royals for years and several staff attended Princess Anisha’s wedding

Singapore

Kimberly Lim

Published: 12:00pm, 27 Jan 2024

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Designing the tiara that would be worn by Princess Anisha Rosnah during her lavish wedding to one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors, Prince Abdul Mateen of Brunei, was a “once in a lifetime experience” for Singaporean jewellery designer Roslind Ng.

The 10-day wedding event, which kicked off on January 7, featured several banquets, a royal court of musicians and a star-studded guest list, all befitting a royal family with enormous wealth – Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei and father of Prince Abdul Mateen, alone had an estimated net worth of US$28 billion in 2022.

Ng said she spent eight gruelling months coming up with designs and sourcing the stones for Princess Anisha’s tiara. The 53-year-old creative director of Flower Diamond in Singapore felt a wave of happiness and excitement when she saw the striking 132-carat diamond crown worn by the princess on the eighth day of the royal ceremony and procession.

A sketch of the tiara worn by Bruneian Princess Anisha Rosnah during her wedding to Prince Abdul Mateen earlier this month. Photo: Flower Diamond

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime and we won’t be making crowns like these very often. There will not be a second piece so soon,” said Ng.

“We felt very proud and honoured that we could do something like this.”

The tiara, made entirely of 18-karat gold and embellished with 838 diamonds – including 38 square-shaped, 14 oval-shaped, 19 pear-shaped, and 767 round brilliant-cut diamonds – made its first appearance at Princess Azemah Bolkiah’s wedding last year.

The brief that was given by Princess Azemah was a tiara that was “modern, but with a classic look” that drew attention to the bigger diamonds, Ng said.

Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (right), Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen (second from right) and bride Anisha Rosnah (second from left), Queen Hajah Saleha attend their wedding reception on January 15. Photo: Brunei’s Information Department via AP

Ng then put together three carefully crafted designs to present to the family, but it was almost love at first sight for Princess Azemah, who picked out the design that later became the crown worn by herself and Princess Anisha.

“The piece she chose – compared to the other two – is a very simple and classic design, with the bigger diamonds popping out and has a floating look,” Ng added.

Ng and the team had been receiving commissions from the Brunei family to set and design jewellery pieces long before being tasked with the tiara’s creation. For more than 20 years, they have produced pieces ranging from bracelets to earrings to even diamond gloves for the royal clan.

Belinda Chua, the managing director of Flower Diamond, described it as hard-earned trust that took years to build.

Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen and bride Anisha Rosnah attend the wedding procession in Bandar Seri Begawan on January 14. Photo: Brunei’s Information Department via AP

“Roslind has designed many things for the family and Prince Mateen’s mother could trust that she could deliver. They used to meet and buy from international brands in London and jewellers there. So it was a long relationship and trust that we have earned,” she said.

The crowning moment for the Flower Diamond team was being invited by the royal family to attend the lavish marriage ceremony.

“We’re very honoured to have been invited to the wedding – a lot of royalty and leaders from around the world were there. The way they planned the wedding – even the flower arrangements, which I’ve never seen anything like before – was so amazing.”

What will forever be etched in their minds is when they were invited to take a photo alongside the happy couple, which gave them a chance to reflect on the journey they have been through, from the tiara’s conception to its creation.

“We didn’t have a chance to be near them [most of the wedding] so the moment we could join them for a photo was very precious. Not anybody can stand next to them and take a picture,” Chua said with a laugh.