Love Amidst the Pandemic 疫中有愛
Hong Kong Commercial Daily, 2020 May 25
“Love Amidst the Pandemic” - Compassionate Jeweler K.S. Sze & Sons
The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to many industries over the past six months, with the retail sector facing a harsh winter. The total sales value in March dropped by 40 per cent compared to the same period last year. While it has become common for companies to balance their books by laying off employees, K.S. Sze & Sons, a jeweler with nearly a century of history, has managed to retain all its staff during these challenging times. The company’s compassionate approach can be linked to its second-generation successor, Dr. Nien-dak Sze, who nine years ago stepped away from a lucrative career in science to lead the family business his father founded.
Dr. Nien-dak Sze, the second-generation successor of K.S. Sze & Sons, took over the family’s jewelry business nine years ago.
The boutique features a range of exquisite and elegant jewelry.
Retaining Employees During the Pandemic
Government statistics show that the retail value of jewelry sales dropped by 60 per cent from January to March this year compared to last year, marking the largest decline in the retail sector. With business significantly affected, some companies have managed to stay open by asking some employees to take unpaid leave, while others have resorted to layoffs to balance their books and reduce payroll expenses.
K.S. Sze & Sons, however, did not lay off employees as a cost-cutting measure amidst the pandemic, ensuring that its staff of more than ten people were paid as usual. When the pandemic was at its peak and the government announced social distancing restrictions, K.S. Sze & Sons also prioritized the health of its employees, giving those working at the Landmark Prince’s boutique two weeks of paid leave. “The boutique’s compact space made it challenging to keep safe distances,” Dr. Nien-dak Sze explained. Meanwhile, the company’s other boutique maintained normal operations with full protective measures in place: wearing masks, frequent hand washing, checking temperatures, and enhanced cleaning. Dr. Sze emphasized, “Each employee is crucial, and my hope is for us to surmount these challenges together.”
Despite the decrease in turnover due to the pandemic, Dr. Nien-dak Sze believes in finding opportunities amidst the crisis. The pandemic-induced downtime is used to update online information, analyze customer data, and promote the business online, providing customers with a deeper insight into the company’s history and offerings via the Internet.
During the pandemic, K.S. Sze & Sons’ Landmark Prince’s boutique closed for two weeks with paid leave for the staff.
A legacy Nearly a Century Old
Recounting K.S. Sze & Sons’ origins, Dr. Nien-dak Sze took the reporter back to 1923 when his father, Sze Kong-shun, embarked on his jewelry venture by opening his first store “Yuanfeng” in Shanghai. He started his apprenticeship at the tender age of 12 and, leveraging his years of accumulated jewelry knowledge, began his jewelry business in Hong Kong in 1949.
Dr. Sze spoke extensively about his father’s entrepreneurial story.
Dr. Nien-dak Sze shared stories of his father’s entrepreneurial journey
Dr. Nien-dak Sze reminisced about his initial move to Hong Kong, saying, “I was only two years old at that time, and my father didn’t buy a plane ticket for me. Without CCTV cameras back then, he put me in his luggage, smuggling me into Hong Kong. People had a real sense of humanity back then. While moving around in my Dad’s handheld luggage at customs, nobody stopped us. From a young age, I was exposed to our family business, heading to the shop to help out after school. I watched my father open a small kiosk in the Entertainment Building, then set up a shop in the Central Building, going door-to-door to drum up business, carrying his jewelry with him and introducing himself. My father later said to me, ‘Son, don’t dream of going abroad. I have worked hard to build this shop for you to inherit.’”
The jewel on the left is an exquisite tanzanite feather brooch, symbolizing power, wisdom, and freedom.
In 1963, K.S. Sze & Sons was invited to open a boutique in the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, at which time Dr. Nien-dak Sze was a secondary school student at Wah Yan College. During the 1967 riots in Hong Kong, Dr. Nien-dak Sze went to study in the United States. He explained, “At that time, my father wanted his children to go abroad to escape the turmoil, so I submitted my I-20 (application for a U.S. Visa) and went to the U.S. to study.”
Having moved from Shanghai to further develop in Hong Kong, K.S. Sze & Sons was invited to open in the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
From Scientist to Jeweler
Dr. Nien-dak Sze initially spent a year studying architecture at the University of Hong Kong before moving to Purdue University in the United States, where he majored in Aeronautics. He recalled, “The remote and wild landscape there helped me focus on my studies.” Not only was Dr. Nien-dak Sze top of his class during his studies, but he also earned a scholarship to pursue a doctoral program in Earth and Planetary Science at Harvard University. He lamented, “My father was in the jewelry business for over 50 years, starting as a teenager and working until he was 70. That’s how family businesses are; someone always needs to take over. My sister was also furthering her studies in the U.S. She knew much about jewelry design and loved collecting precious, rare pieces. However, during a health checkup, she discovered she had a chronic illness which was getting worse. On her last trip back to Hong Kong, she said to me, ‘Brother, it's your turn to take over now.’ Even though I was teaching at Harvard
In 2018, K.S. Sze & Sons generously donated an over 10-carat emerald diamond ring to The HUB, a Hong Kong charity, for their fundraising auction.
Leaving behind a lucrative position at Harvard University to become a jeweler and take over his father’s lifetime work was a significant challenge for Dr. Nien-dak Sze. “Unlike research work, I have been learning something new every day in the nine years since taking over the business. Only after personally managing the business did I truly understand the hardships my father went through. The competition in the jewelry industry is much fiercer now than ever before, not only because of the many large brands with chain stores but also due to auction houses dominating the market, making it difficult for small jewelry boutiques to break through,” Dr. Nien-dak Sze explained.
Among the treasures of K.S. Sze & Sons is a top-quality 15.02-carat, D-color, flawless diamond.
Tapping into the Younger Market
K.S. Sze & Sons, with its 97-year history, is one of the rare long-standing jewelry boutiques in Hong Kong. “The Chinese name 「金星」‘Gold Star’ was created by Sze Kong-shun,” Dr. Sze Nien-dak explained. “Gold was a common element in jewelry stores back in the day, with many shops selling gold. My father thought the word ‘star’ sounded good, so he added it behind ‘gold’. Today’s jewelry, however, primarily focuses on gemstones and more elaborate designs. My father also created the English name K.S. Sze & Sons, where K.S. Sze is the transliteration of his name, and ‘sons’ represents all his descendants.”
With a remarkable 97-year history, K.S. Sze & Sons is one of the few centenary establishments in Hong Kong.
K.S. Sze & Sons boasts a century-long history and a prime location. Dr. Nien-dak Sze hopes to continue his father’s legacy, aiming to expand the market beyond existing clientele. “The key to running a business is to grow the pie. Rent in Hong Kong keeps rising, so expenses will only get higher. I believe K.S. Sze & Sons needs to appeal to the younger generations, attracting customers of different age groups. Today’s youth prefer simple designs that are meaningful, like a circle or a cross, the symbols of the planet Venus. Moreover, I have recently been learning to use social media platforms and plan to develop more online promotions in the future.”
Looking ahead, K.S. Sze & Sons aims to rejuvenate its brand for a younger audience. The photo shows a piece from the famous Russian brand Fabergé, currently owned by a British company. K.S. Sze & Sons is the exclusive agent in Hong Kong.
香港商報副刊, 2020年05月25日
「疫中有愛」金星——充滿愛心的珠寶商
近半年，新冠肺炎使不少行業受到重創，其中零售業面臨寒冬，今年3月的總銷貨價值較上年同比下跌四成。19企業為了平衡收支，炒掉員工之事很常見，金星珠寶有限公司卻在「疫」境下保住所有員工，原來這間充滿愛心的珠寶店已有近百年歷史，金星珠寶第二代繼承人施念德9年前放棄高薪厚職，由科學家轉行為珠寶商，繼承父親一手創辦的珠寶事業。
金星珠寶第二代繼承人施念德博士，9年前接手經營珠寶生意。
店內擺設不少珠寶，設計高貴典雅。
疫情中保住員工
根據政府統計處數據顯示，今年1至3月珠寶零售銷貨值較去年下降六成，是零售業中的最大跌幅。在生意大受影響下，有些公司維持營業，要求部分員工放無薪假，有些則為了平衡收支，大炒員工，以減少薪酬上的開支。金星珠寶在「疫」境下，沒有因為減成本而炒掉員工，旗下十多位員工照常出糧。在疫情最嚴重、政府剛宣布限聚令時，金星珠寶亦為了員工的健康着想，讓置地太子店的員工放了兩個星期的有薪假，施念德表示：「因為太子店較小，難以與客人保持安全距離，而其他店舖照常營業，同時做足防護措施：戴口罩、勤洗手、量體溫、多清潔。每位員工對我而言都十分重要，希望可以攜手渡過難關。」雖然疫情令到營業額減少，但施念德認為「疫」中有機，可趁這時候多更新網上資料、進行客戶數據分析、網上宣傳，令顧客可以從網上了解更多金星的故事及產品。
在疫情期間，金星置地太子店關店兩星期並為員工提供有薪假。
近百年悠久歷史
回想起金星珠寶的故事，施念德帶記者回到1923年，當時他的父親施剛巽（粵音：信）在上海開設了第一家珠寶店「源豐」。施剛巽在12歲時已經開始做學徒，後來藉着多年累積的珠寶知識，到了1949年在香港展開了珠寶事業。
施念德大談父親舊時的創業故事。
施念德回憶當初來香港的情景：「當時我只有兩歲，父親沒有幫我買到機票位置，又沒有CCTV，父親便把我放在行李之中，偷偷帶來香港的。當時的人很有人情味，過海關時我在爸爸手提行李中動來動去，也沒有被人叫住。年幼時我已開始接觸家族業務，放學後就要回店幫忙，看着父親在娛樂行開小舖位，後來在中建大廈開店，看着他『跑街』拉客，每門每戶敲門，拎着貨品自我介紹。後來父親和我說：『呀仔，不要發夢去外國，我辛辛苦苦打造這間店就是要你承繼。』」
左下為精美的坦桑石羽毛胸針，象徵着力量、智慧和自由。
到了1963年，金星珠寶受邀進駐文華東方酒店，其時施念德就讀華仁書院，是一個中學生。1967年香港暴動，施念德便去美國升學，他說：「當時我父親希望仔女可以去外國避一避風頭，於是我就遞了I-20（申請美國簽證表格），去美國讀書。」
金星受邀進駐文華東方酒店，由上海遷至香港發展。
從科學家到珠寶商
施念德原在香港大學讀過一年建築系，後來到美國普渡大學（Purdue University）主修航空學系（Aeronautics），他回憶道：「那裏荒山野嶺，也令我集中精神讀書。」讀書時期施念德不但名列前茅，更獲獎學金，到哈佛大學進修地球與星球科學博士課程（Earth and Planetary Science）。施念德感嘆道：「我父親做了五十多年珠寶，由十幾歲打拼到七十歲，家族企業就是這樣，總要有人接手，我姐姐也在美國深造，她十分懂珠寶設計，而且很熱愛收藏珍貴稀有珠寶，但她檢查身體的時候卻發現有頑疾，身體每況愈下，最近一次回香港時與我說：『弟弟，這次輪到你接班了。』即使那時我還在哈佛教書，還有一班學生，但我仍立刻答應接手父親留下的事業。」
金星珠寶公司在 2018 年捐出一顆10卡多的祖母綠鑽戒給香港樂童行慈善機構 （The HUB） 作為慈善拍賣。
放棄哈佛大學高薪厚職，由科學家轉行為珠寶商，回港繼承父親畢生心血，對施念德而言很具挑戰性。施念德說：「與研究工作不同，9年前接手打理生意後，我每一天都在學習，親自經營後才明白父親的勞苦。比起以前，現時珠寶業的競爭更大，不但有很多大型連鎖式的珠寶品牌，還有拍賣行主導珠寶市場，小型珠寶店很難突圍而出。」
金星藏品之一，15.02克拉、D色、完美無瑕的頂級優質鑽石。
開拓年輕市場
金星珠寶創立至今已有97年歷史，為香港少有的老牌珠寶店。「金星」這個名字由施剛巽所創，施念德解釋說：「金是舊時珠寶店常見的元素，以前有很多金舖，現在的珠寶則以寶石為主，設計更為花巧，因為父親覺得星字好聽所以配在後面。我父親另起K.S.SZE&SONS為英文名，K.S.SZE是父親名字的譯音，SONS代表他所有的子孫。」
金星珠寶至今已有97年歷史，為香港少有的百年老店。
金星擁有百年歷史及位於黃金地段，施念德希望延續父親建下來的事業，除了現有的熟客生意外，他希望能開拓更大市場：「做生意最緊要做大個餅，香港租金每年都加價，支出只會愈來愈貴。我認為金星要年輕化，吸納不同年齡層的客戶，現在年輕人喜歡簡約又具有故事性的設計，例如一個圓圈、一個十字，是金星(星球)的象徵符號。而且最近我也在學習使用社交平台，未來會發展更多線上宣傳。」
金星未來主力推廣年輕化的珠寶品牌，圖為著名俄羅斯品牌，現由英國公司擁有的Fabergé產品，金星珠寶為香港的代理。