We’re still three months away from Philippine Independence Day, but it doesn’t mean being proud to be Filipino should be a rare feeling. Thanks to Jul B. Dizon Jewellery and Simbolo, the brand’s newest collection of golden pieces, we can now wear Pinoy pride all year round with any outfit we please.
Simbolo is inspired by a deep love for the country; its roots can be traced to the patriotism of the Dizon matriarch, Jul, after whom the brand is named. It also echoes the family’s storied work ethic and long tradition of topnotch artistry.
“My mom was very vocal about her love for country,” says my good friend and Jul’s daughter Candy Dizon.
“She devoted much of her time as an active member of the People’s Patriotic Movement, a foundation focused on educating people on how to make the country prosper.”
The Simbolo collection consists of six different lines. Despite the difference in gemstones, each one is similar in its objective to pay homage to the long history of our people and land.
“Luzviminda,” a series of pendants, showcase portraits of eight ladies in either native or period garb. Every piece is woven in with sapphires and tsavorites, diamonds and gold.
“Mananayaw” pays tribute to folk dances through 18K gold. While motion is a recurring theme, stills of dancers mimicking the sagayan, the sword dance from Maranaw and Maguindanao, and the “Dalagang Filipina,” the fan dance, are the focal points here.
Nipa hut
There’s also “Kubo,” a line of pins and pendants that sends you back to premodern life with an interpretation of the nipa hut. Imagined and actualized in gemstones, gold and pearls, “Kubo” is an ode to bayanihan, the sense of community and simple living.
“Sandata” caught my eye due to its genius mix of the rugged and romantic. Tourmalines, diamonds, rubies and spinels translate ancient weaponry into wearable swords and daggers more fit for fashion than battle.
“Perdible,” meanwhile, is a fun throwback to an otherwise mundane item. These extra-large decorative safety pins are adorned with white and yellow diamonds, and may be worn alone or with monograms, beads, and other danglers.
“Icono” immortalizes the tangible. Signs and symbols in our culture take the form of pins, rings, pendants, cufflinks and bracelet clips. Famous figures such as the vinta, eagle, sampaguita and the sun on the Philippine flag are rendered in beautiful black and white diamonds, lapis lazuli, pearls, wood and carabao horn.
And there’s “Bandila,” the ultimate bejeweled reference to the national colors. This line is available in six colors of stainless stretch bracelets that reinterpret the flag’s elements in stunning diamonds, sapphires, and rubies in gold or silver.
Celebrities and other public figures like Lucy Gomez-Torres, Julianna T. Gomez, Iza Calzado, Ben Wintle, Nix Alañon and Pauline Juan are among the ambassadors for Simbolo. The rest of us may not be representing the line, but wearing a piece from the collection makes us ambassadors of Pinoy pride.
