What's the Difference: SSSale or Flagship Boutique?

One of the most common questions we received in the lead up to and during the SSSale was how the Seconds & Sample pieces would differ from the ones at our Flagship Boutique in Mandarin Gallery. Given that we have received these queries quite a fair bit, we felt it best to share our responses publicly to clarify how the two experiences are really quite distinct.

Seconds & Samples VS pieces that passed the final round of QC

Improved quality and advanced levels of intricacy mean more stringent QC checks

A Choo Yilin piece is incredibly intricate; and with increasing intricacy come an increasing number of things to get right. Consequently, this leads to an increasing probability that something could go wrong. It sometimes takes three to six months for us to make sure that a product is the best it can be, and to ultimately be a piece that our clients would be proud to own and wear.

P Flower Seconds & Samples — If they don't pass the final round of QC, they can't make it to our Flagship Boutique

**Each piece is undergoing more and more stringent QC checks, and therefore, many pieces, whilst still incredibly beautiful, just don’t pass the test to be sold at our Flagship Boutique.** **The pieces that didn’t “make the cut” are *“seconds”*. *Samples* are archival pieces from past collections that the brand is not reproducing.**

Overwhelmingly, the jewellery at the SSSale were either made of Sterling Silver or gold-plated sterling silver. We have found Sterling Silver to be the ideal metal of choice for people who would like jewellery for casual use without the emotional significance attached to a piece.

In contrast, we have learnt over the years that it’s crucial for special moments jewellery and heirlooms to be in solid gold for it to be durable to withstand regular wear and tear and the harsh humidity in Southeast Asia.

Thus, we were actively sharing with clients not to purchase the items at the SSSale if they were aiming to purchase the jewellery for their wedding or their anniversary. Rather, the Choo Yilin Flagship Boutique at Mandarin Gallery would be the ideal place to shop at, with solid gold jewellery pieces available in 9KT and 18KT options, woven with jade, coloured gemstones, and diamonds.

AFTER-SALES CARE & SERVICES

For jewellery that’s purchased to commemorate a special occasion, we’ve been stressing to clients that it was incredibly important to buy jewellery that could be supported by after-sales service so that they may enjoy their pieces for the
many years to come.

We have had incidents (thankfully very rare!) of clients dropping their jade bangles or losing one side of their earrings; our dedicated Customer Service team has been able to work alongside clients to troubleshoot solutions in such situations. We know the sentimental importance of pieces that commemorate special moments.

We definitely want to be here for you as best we can.

A SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SSSALE
& THE MANDARIN GALLERY FLAGSHIP EXPERIENCE

WHEN IS THE NEXT SALE?

To be honest, we ourselves don’t know, and have no intention of going on sale anytime in the foreseeable future.

Choo Yilin is a brand that rarely holds sale events and does not have the habit of holding half-yearly, or even yearly sales as many may do during certain retail seasons. This is because our fine jewellery pieces don’t follow seasonality – each piece is handcrafted, made of precious metal and gemstones, and these were created to reflect heritage and special moments;
timeless treasures, rather than trends.

The SSSale happened only under a very specific condition – that we had an excess of inventory that was unsuitable to be sold at our Flagship Boutique in Mandarin Gallery. As each piece is handcrafted and takes time for us to create, we often have waitlists for items and hence, we usually do not have excess inventory to clear. Until such an instance happens again, it is unlikely for us to hold another sale.