{"id":14090,"date":"2026-05-08T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/?p=14090"},"modified":"2026-10-08T08:54:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T00:54:20","slug":"motherhood-and-memory-a-bespoke-craft-shaped-by-love-and-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2026\/05\/08\/motherhood-and-memory-a-bespoke-craft-shaped-by-love-and-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Motherhood and Memory: A Bespoke Craft Shaped by Love and Meaning"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Mothers often hold and honour memory in deeply personal ways, carrying moments of birth, love or loss with them through life\u2019s transitions. For Ms Yeo Min Qi (Business \u201913), founder of Love Juno Gems<\/a>, this truth is rooted in her own journey of motherhood and channelled into her jewellery-making.<\/p>

When her clients receive their jewellery, some cry. Others reach for a hug. Each piece holds something deeply personal \u2014 transformed into a lasting keepsake in honour of life\u2019s most profound moments.\u00a0<\/p>

Undergirding Ms Yeo\u2019s creativity is a recognition of the emotional impact lived experiences have on people.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Classic diamonds studs with detachable breastmilk drops<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A NEW MOTHER’S BABY STEPS<\/strong><\/p>

For Ms Yeo, the period after the birth of her eldest daughter in 2020 was disorienting. Despite the deep joy of motherhood, she felt a loss of identity as her life narrowed to focusing on her newborn. Her days fell into a rhythm dictated by her baby\u2019s needs, down to her diet and even the clothes she wore.<\/p>

\u201cI was not prepared for the loss of a clear sense of self,\u201d she recounts.<\/p>

Amid the overwhelming experience, she began searching for a way to give form to the journey. \u201cFirst-time parenthood is deeply transformative, in ways that are difficult to articulate. I found myself wanting to capture that shift in a tangible form \u2014 something that made the intangible feel real,\u201d Ms Yeo explains.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Her search led her to breastmilk \u2014 something that nourished her child and was symbolic of her motherhood experiences \u2014 as the basis of her earliest jewellery designs.<\/p>

Jewellery incorporating breastmilk has been around for some time, but what Ms Yeo sought was an enduring and bespoke piece that truly honoured her journey, which meant using high-end materials such as solid gold and quality gemstones.<\/p>

Realising that vision proved more complex than expected, requiring multiple rounds of experimentation and refinement before she developed a process that worked. When she finally created her own piece, it became a way of holding on to a part of her old self, while also reflecting the new person she was becoming.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0What began as a meaningful project for herself resonated with others in ways she had not anticipated, evolving into a way for her to help others create their own sentimental jewellery.<\/p>

FROM A HOBBY TO A BUSINESS WITH PURPOSE<\/strong><\/p>

As word spread through social media and word of mouth, her client base grew organically. Love Juno Gems \u2014 named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth \u2014 was thus born. \u201cOver time, people began approaching us with other deeply personal elements \u2014 umbilical cord, ashes, hair, and fur,\u201d she says. \u201cEach piece carries a different story \u2014 whether it\u2019s a child, a pet, or a moment someone wants to hold on to.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A custom necklace featuring the family\u2019s birthstones and their baby\u2019s umbilical cord<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ms Yeo Min Qi<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Listening to these stories marks Ms Yeo\u2019s work. Each piece is designed closely with the client and crafted as a one-of-a-kind creation. In the process, clients often entrust her with their memories of joy and loss. One client, after multiple miscarriages, commissioned a breastmilk ring to mark the child she was finally able to hold. Another commissioned a ring for each of her two daughters, each incorporating their birthstone and umbilical cord. One of the rings also featured a diamond passed down from her own mother \u2014 bringing together three generations in a single piece.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A ring made of preserved umbilical cord, paired with a son's and husband's birthstones<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
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A bespoke ring, centred around a breastmilk charm and family birthstones.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\u201cWe often meet remarkable women whose lives hold stories of care, resilience, and love in ways both seen and unseen,\u201d shares Ms Yeo. \u201cThe pieces we create are a way of holding those stories \u2014 something tangible they can return to.\u201d<\/p>

Love Juno Gems began with solid gold pieces, but growing demand brought requests for more accessible options. In response, Ms Yeo introduced gold-plated sterling silver, allowing clients to personalise pieces with sentimental elements, birthstones, and initials.<\/p>

With growing clarity about how meaningful the work was to her and her clients, she left her corporate role in 2025 to turn Love Juno Gems into a full-fledged business. By then, she was a mother of two children, aged five and three.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A LEAP OF FAITH<\/strong><\/p>

After 12 years in real estate development, the shift into entrepreneurship was a deliberate one, shaped by a growing clarity of purpose.<\/p>

\u201cSentimental jewellery is deeply personal to me. Through years of working closely with clients \u2014 listening to their stories and witnessing the emotional significance of each piece \u2014 I came to understand the value of this work.\u201d<\/p>

Scaling a craft-based business brings its own challenges. Ms Yeo credits the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme \u2014 with its internships and start-up exposure in Taiwan and Beijing \u2014 for giving her an early, practical view of how businesses are built. Her skills in communication and adaptation \u2014 skills that now help her carry the business \u2014 were also honed during her university years.<\/p>

Her entrepreneurial run did not stop at Love Juno Gems. That same year, she co-founded a collagen- and protein-rich food venture inspired by her own experiences with pregnancy and breastfeeding, before selling it to focus on her core business.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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AFFIRM THE DREAMS<\/strong><\/p>

Time is often tight when you run your own business. For Ms Yeo and her husband, who also has his own venture, that makes how they spend it matter more. With two young daughters, they prioritise being present. Mother\u2019s Day, for example, is \u201cless about the occasion and more about spending time together,\u201d she says.<\/p>

Motherhood, once a disorienting experience, continues to shape how she lives and works. She brings her children into her world when she can, taking them along to selected work events. Her daughters have already begun to take an interest in what she does and are paying attention to her journey.<\/p>

\u201cI want my daughters to see that it\u2019s possible to take risks, pursue something meaningful and build a life that they truly value,\u201d she shares. Love Juno Gems centres on creating heirlooms for others. At home, she is shaping what her own children will carry with them as they grow \u2014 the courage to dream and to act.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Eternal Mama necklace features a 'mama' charm, with a freshwater pearl set in an oyster charm.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Discover more alumni-founded retail businesses on the NUS Food & Travel Map<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A profound shift in her sense of self during early motherhood led Ms Yeo Min Qi (Business \u201913) to create heirloom jewellery that preserves life\u2019s precious moments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":14091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life","category-startups"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14090"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16096,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14090\/revisions\/16096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}