WHAT first caught my eye was an elaborate bracelet coiled around the arm with the ends shaped away from each other in opposing directions. An outstanding statement piece, the material had a light orange reddish hue and it was intertwined with tiny pink stones.
"Did you make these yourself?" I posted a question on the social media account of Nalini Velaitham one day. Her reply was swift: "Yes."
I've seen and bought jewellery in the past but not one has been close to resembling what Nalini now bases her entire business on: copper jewellery. Her eye-catching creations extend to earrings and necklaces, all made to order. It certainly sparked my curiosity.
Further trawling of her social media accounts reveals that Nalini's jewellery business is known as Dr Beads Handmade Jewellery. It did seem a little strange at first until I discovered that she was actually a medical doctor before going into this business.
I couldn't help the look of surprise that crossed my face when she tells me that. "Were you creative as a child?" I couldn't help asking. The Seri Kembangan native beams excitedly in response before replying: "This is related to the biggest regret in my life! I never identified the creative part of me because I never thought I could be creative."
The talented Scorpio began discovering her creative side only after becoming a mother. She shares: "After giving birth to my children, I started exploring how to bake. Then I started learning how to decorate the cakes. But the cakes were only for my children to enjoy."
Continuing, she says: "I progressed to learning how to sew. I began making my own clothes and wearing my own creations to work. I always put on a business lens on things and think about how I make some profit from these undertakings."
CREATIVE SIDE
Nalini credits her business acumen to the fact that she was born into a family with a history of running businesses. Most notably, her parents own and run an Indian restaurant in Brickfields, specialising in briyanis. Her siblings also run their own businesses.
Even as she relates her regret in not discovering her artistic side earlier in life, Nalini smiles while recalling her achievements back in school. "I was a good student," she exclaims, adding: "I excelled academically, especially in maths and science. I was obsessed with getting A's and acing every exam. It never occurred to me that I could have a creative side. I'd always been studying in the Science stream."
Nalini studied medicine in Malaysia for the first few years before continuing in India. "I later came back here to practise," explains Nalini. She started making jewellery after the birth of her third baby, taking a break from practising medicine.
She subsequently went into lecturing and even managed her parents' restaurant before discovering her passion for making jewellery. It first started out as a hobby and a way to have some time to herself.
Nalini explains: "I love bold, colourful and chunky jewellery. At the time, I bought some jewellery for my own use. I looked at every piece and started thinking that it would look better if it was done this or that way. It dawned on me that I could modify them to look more attractive."
Before long, she became addicted to it. "I not only found making jewellery to be therapeutic, but also I really enjoyed making it. So much so that right after putting my kids to bed at night, I'd get down to making jewellery. That was my 'me time'. It helped me take my mind off childcare and work, in fact. I can easily immerse myself in the whole creative process."
Adding, she shares: "Then I started thinking about selling it for a profit. I started off with selling beaded jewellery online. My first client was from Facebook. Words from strangers matter the most. They don't give you positive reviews out of a sense of obligation. They're telling you the truth about what they think."
Her first sale sparked her interest to delve further into the business. "Once you start selling, you become more motivated," confides the mother of three, adding: "It's a satisfying feeling when your pieces turn out well. My customers would also show me photos of the pieces I created for them. Then I started venturing into more complicated pieces."
She used to attend a lot of pop-up markets, shares Nalini, adding that that was when she realised that there is demand for precious gemstones. So, she decided to learn more about gemstones and start selling them.
SWITCH TO COPPER
"One day, during the Movement Control Order when everyone was stuck at home, someone asked me about copper jewellery," recalls Nalini, tracing her journey. It triggered her interest to dive deeper into researching this interesting material, which is said to have therapeutic effects on the human body.
Says Nalini: "Copper jewellery is unique and not many jewellery artists in Malaysia work with it. Now I've switched to solely making copper jewellery using natural gemstones." She has been running her jewellery-making business successfully for the last three years and has seen her clientele grow.
Adding, she shares: "The start-up costs for making jewellery aren't very high. My business grew to such an extent that soon it reached a point when packing became more difficult." She needed more space for her business.
Excitedly, she tells me about the crafting studio she acquired a year ago. Elaborating, Nalini says: "The main objective is really for me to create my pieces, and not so much about having a retail outlet."
These days, she's fully focused on her business and is no longer practising medicine. Looking thoughtful, Nalini muses: "I can't put one leg here and another leg in the other. I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Right now, I have two part-time staff who help me cut the copper wire while I mould and shape the pieces."
Adding, she shares: "I craft jewellery for both daily wear and special occasions. All my pieces are custom-made, by hand, according to the requests made by the customer. I source all materials from local suppliers while the gemstones are mostly from China."
How many pieces does she churn out in an average week? I couldn't help asking. She pauses before conceding that it's difficult to say exactly. "Some can take up to half an hour to make, while more complicated pieces may take a few days."
Adding with a chuckle, she admits: "It can also depend on my mood. I do need to get into the mood to create the pieces. Of course, there are days when you just don't feel like making any jewellery!"
Part of her time is spent on keeping abreast with fashion trends. "There is where I get my ideas from," shares Nalini, adding: "My pieces are made for someone who's unique, bold, and loves to stand out in a crowd. Most of my customers like unique pieces. Having said that, there are some who prefer minimalistic designs. Some buy my jewellery to be given as presents to friends and they have asked me to send it to their friends with a personalised message."
Nalini emphasises on the importance of listening to customers. "Jewellery has become a saturated market and it's not about creating what you want," she advises, tone serious. Adding, she cautions: "Those who want to enter this market must do their research first before jumping into this. It takes time to see the results; patience and persistence are key. You need to keep up with the latest trends to stay relevant."
REINVENTING HERSELF
Asked whether she has any big regrets in life, Nalini replies: "My biggest regret is not having explored this side of me in the past, especially now I know that I am creative. That said, I don't regret going to medical school. I enjoyed it. However, I've discovered that working as a medical doctor isn't really where my passion lies."
These days, Nalini works full-time on her business while pursuing a doctorate in business administration. She unwinds by watching movies and indulging in her love for crime thrillers. She recently watched the Inventing Anna series on Netflix.
Asked about her plans, Nalini confides that she'd love to open her own store in a mall. When it comes jewellery, she explains, most customers like see and touch the pieces first before buying.
Smiling broadly, Nalini confesses: "I'd definitely like to open a physical retail outlet where I can showcase my pieces. I want to target a wide range of people. Malaysians are mall rats, which means having my business there would be ideal!"
She also aspires to expand internationally. "Most of my customers are Malaysians but I'd like to build an international clientele. For that to happen, I need a bigger team. That's definitely in my plans for the future," says Nalini, tone excited.
As our chat comes to a close, I couldn't help asking the entrepreneur about her life motto. Does she have one?
She takes a few seconds to think about the question before proceeding to put her hand on her chest and saying: "This is my own thing. Accept life as it is. Don't overthink and don't try to modify things. Don't have regrets about the past. I'm happy on a daily basis. I don't regret the past or think too much about the future. Just live in the present."
Somehow, I can picture her doing just that as she leans over her workstation to mould copper wire around a gemstone into yet another beautiful piece waiting to adorn the next appreciative customer.
Check out Dr Beads Handmade Jewellery on FB and IG to see more of Nalini's work.