Few family run companies survive 130 years and even fewer do so as the biggest companies in their industry; but those who do, do so by constantly reinventing, while staying close to home.

Royal Selangor is one of those rare companies that still does today what it did four generations ago when it was founded. But cementing its reputation as the biggest pewter manufacturer in the world hasn’t come from skill alone, but from keeping the door open to new ideas and collaborations.

‘Crystalline’ by award-winning designer Jarrod Lim, proves the point exactly. Inspired by the geometry of crystals and how they reflect light, the collection highlights the age old attributes of pewter while giving it a dose of freshness.

“Faceted and patterned structures are something that I really like to incorporate into my designs,” Jarrod shares with me. “I felt that a faceted appearance is something that's not normally associated with pewter products but the shapes reflect the light brilliantly and really enhance the appeal of the polished surfaces.”

Jarrod Lim's works have been featured in exhibitions around the world

It isn’t a stretch to say Jarrod’s success has come from knowing what he wants and being bold enough to get it. Discovering his love for design at an early age, Jarrod graduated in industrial design from RMIT and was soon on his way to Italy for a job he didn’t have.

Having received an invitation with no job offer, Jarrod travelled to the studio of famed designer Patricia Urquiola and offered to work for free. But after only a month, she took him on full time. Jarrod credits much of his design thinking to his time in Milan, where he learned hands-on to design for high-end brands and luxury interiors.

The first bold step would be just the first of many, as he would move on to London before heading back to Australia and finally settling in Singapore. And it was here that the seeds for Crystalline were planted.

“Seeing how they were collaborating with other designers, I could tell that they really respected design and it was part of their culture,” he says about Royal Selangor having seen one of their collaborative exhibitions in Singapore. “They were already on the path to creating more contemporary, luxurious products and I felt that I could work well with them.”

Jarrod has won the Pinnacle Award USA, the A&D Trophy Award and the Young Designer of the Year, Australia.

While the decision to collaborate was an easy choice to make, the subject of the collaboration needed some inspiration; one that Jarrod would find in the pewter itself.

“After my first tour of the factory I felt that I needed to concentrate on the unique characteristics of pewter,” he says. “Also I wanted to develop pieces that could display the high level of skill that the artisans at Royal Selangor possess. Many of the pieces in the collection appear simple but they are very difficult to make and can only be manufactured using the type of traditional techniques employed by Royal Selangor.”

The entire process of design that involved sketching, producing cardboard mock-ups, computer models and 3D prototypes took over two years and involved many changes and adjustments before the collection could be produced.

Crystalline by Jarrod Lim

The result is a highly polished collection that includes a pair of tea lights, salt and pepper shakers, candle stands, jug, bud vase and candelabrums. The crystal like designs get a hint of warmth from black-walnut wood, that not only provides contrast, but protects the pieces as well.

The Crystalline collection is available at any Royal Selangor retail store, authorised dealer and Royal Selangor’s official website.

Some shine from Royal Selangor and some style from Versace is everything your home needs.