The Straits Chinese Jewelry Museum, a new addition to the Pinang Peranakan Mansion is set to officially open in June during the 2013 George Town Festival. The museum showcases the epitome of Baba Nyonya jewelry and is the first of its kind to be opened in Penang. The building housing these jewels is also furnished with Straits Chinese furniture and collectibles and adjoins the Pinang Peranakan Mansion through the Chinese Jade garden.

The museum displays the rare and priceless collections of magnificent Peranakan diamonds, intans and jade set in gold and precious metals. These gems are unique with its exquisite settings and designs – an amalgamation of Chinese, Malay, Victorian and Indian compositions. Some of the techniques and craftsmanship employed in these pieces are so meticulous that they are no longer found or made today. These master craftsmen included skilled and expert master craftsmen from China and Ceylon.

These Baba Nyonya jewellery are collected over a period of 35 years, sourced from the personal collection of Baba Nyonya families including recovered jewels from Kapitan China’s collection.

Baba Nyonya or Peranakan is a community of acculturated Chinese unique to the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The Peranakans adopted selected ways of local Malays and have blended Chinese and Malay customs, language, fashion and cuisine over centuries.

For more information on the museum, contact Pinang Peranakan Mansion at 04-2642929.