More Singaporeans are taking a shine to creations by local jewellers, so much so that the designers are selling their gems in retail shops and even department stores.

While many still hawk their wares online, more homemade bling is now on sale at household names like Tangs and Robinsons, alongside foreign jewellery brands like Liz Claiborne and Charles Winston.

And multi-label jewellery and clothing boutiques are allowing local designers to sell their pieces at their outlets. They include Quintessential Gifts at Pacific Plaza, Anthropology at Raffles City and Retail Therapy at Wheelock Place.

Whether on show at a department store or a trendy boutique, homemade jewellery are proving a glittering success with shoppers here.

Store owners say this is because the quality of the designs are getting better. Most local designers also offer one-of-a-kind pieces.

Petrina Tiong, merchandising executive at Tangs - where jewellery, both local and international, ranges from $12.90 to $2,000 - says it has seen an increase of about 20 per cent in sales of local jewellery in recent years.

Indeed, Tangs has seen "a growing number" of local jewellery designers keen to peddle their wares at the store.

The latest local addition to its jewellery range is WoonHung, a brand with pieces designed and made by Yvonne Chia which began selling there this year.

Her pieces are priced between $129 and $399 there.

Chia, 40, notes that the quality of home-grown jewellery designs has come a long way from five years ago.

"When I first started out, there was either very cheap jewellery or very expensive ones. There wasn't anything in between.

"Also, handmade jewellery then looked raw. It wasn't easy to find jewellery that didn't cost too much but still had good details, good designs and nice colours."

Tangs also offers jewellery by well-known local jewellers Dave Soh, 34, and Jennifer Green, 42. The latter's creations sell for as much as $2,000 for a piece made with semi-precious stones.

Soh's Dave Fine Jewellery is also available at Robinsons The Centrepoint. His pieces, which are made with precious metal and natural gemstones, are priced between $118 and $1,800.

Other emerging local jewellers are dipping their toes into retail waters by offering their creations for sale at smaller stores.

Kelly Yeo, 32, owner of Deja Vu Vintage boutique at The Cathay which offers one-of a kind vintage apparel and jewellery, says that last week alone, she was approached by four hopefuls wanting to sell their jewellery.

She says: "Although we want to support aspiring designers, we are very careful about the designs we pick. We judge based on the maturity of the craft."

The store has items from six home-grown bauble brands priced from $39 to $250, including Vice & Vanity by Vivi Lim and Aaron Kao, as well as L'ile aux Ashby by Rayson Tan.

Yeo adds: "We are willing to support young designers who have potential. Sometimes, they may start off with shaky designs but eventually, their designs will mature."

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on May 29, 2008.