Little Nyonya Batik Antique Jewelry Store: City Hall Intan

Little Nyonya Batik keeps a small case of vintage intan jewellery, the uncut-diamond gold pieces once worn by Straits Chinese families, inside its second-floor shop at The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street #02-01, Singapore 179803. It opens Monday to Saturday from 11:30am to 5pm, Wednesdays by appointment, and is a short walk from City Hall MRT. For an antique jewelry store visit with a Peranakan focus, it is an unusual find.

Della Ong, who runs the shop, started Little Nyonya Batik in 2011 after working as a graphic designer. She describes herself as a Peranakan from Pekalongan, the Javanese batik town on the north coast of Indonesia, and the site shows a 1984 family photograph marking her as fifth-generation Peranakan. The business works directly with Pekalongan artisans on exclusive hand-drawn batik and supports fair-trade production.

Jewellery grew out of that wider heritage business. The boutique sells hand-drawn and stamped batik, kebaya blouses, beaded shoes, porcelain, scarves and home décor, and the jewellery sits alongside them. That mix is the point: you can see how a pair of intan studs, a kebaya and a beaded slipper were worn together, which a pure jeweller cannot show you. The website also walks through the two batik methods it sells, hand-drawn batik tulis and stamped batik cap, worth reading before you browse the cloth.

The shop explains that intan jewellery was traditionally worn by the Baba Nyonya communities during the Victorian era. Intan refers to rough diamonds that are uncut and unfaceted, unlike the polished brilliants you see in modern engagement rings. The stones look grey-white and glassy rather than sparkling, and they were usually set closely in high-karat gold so that a cluster read as one glowing shape.

Little Nyonya Batik is a regulated gold dealer registered with Singapore's Ministry of Law, which matters for anyone buying or selling old gold. That registration means the business works under the rules that govern precious-metal dealing, so ask for a proper receipt describing karat and weight on any vintage piece you buy.

Two dozen vintage pieces are currently listed, all priced on request. They include star-shaped ear studs set with intan in 20k gold weighing 5.32 grams, round studs with rose-cut intan in 750 gold, a seven-stone intan ring in 585 gold in size 13, and a round cluster ring in 22k gold. Dangling earrings shaped as a bird of paradise and as a phoenix tail show the bird motifs Nyonya families favoured.

The listings mix karat names and millesimal numbers, so it helps to translate before you go. A 750 stamp means 18 karat gold, 585 means 14 karat, and 850 sits just above 20 karat. Pieces described as 20k or 22k are richer and softer, typical of Straits Chinese work made to hold value as family wealth. Ask to see the stamp with a loupe, and look at whether stones sit in closed or open settings, since many older intan settings were closed at the back.

Not every visitor wants a vintage gold ring, and the shop has a big range of new costume pieces in Nyonya designs with clear prices. A simple gold-tone kerosang with leaves costs S$20, a set with silver-tone stone flowers is S$35, and a silver leaf kerosang with a pearl is S$40. A premium star kerosang is S$165, adjustable buah kana rings are S$45 and a vintage-style bangle is S$70. All prices are in Singapore dollars.

These are honest reproductions rather than antiques, so do not confuse the two. They are the better choice for wearing a kebaya to a wedding or for a gift that will be used rather than stored. If you want the real thing, ask for the vintage case and compare the weight in your hand: old gold pieces are noticeably heavier than costume metal.

The shop keeps short daytime hours, so do not plan an evening visit. Wednesday is by appointment only. Because everything is handmade and stock varies, the shop asks customers to check availability with Della by WhatsApp before buying a specific item. Retail purchases are not returnable or refundable, but exchanges are allowed within three days with a valid receipt, so decide carefully on intan before you pay.

A fair verdict: skip Little Nyonya Batik if you want a wide choice of European antique diamonds, since the vintage case is small and focused. Come for Peranakan intan pieces, which few Singapore shops show at all, and pair the visit with the museum nearby to see similar jewellery in context. If you need a larger range of Straits gold, book a visit to Gem Gardener in Joo Chiat.

The Adelphi sits opposite Funan, the tech and lifestyle mall at 107 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179105, and next to the lawns of St Andrew's Cathedral. From the shop, walk ten minutes north-west to the Peranakan Museum at 39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941, where galleries of Nyonya jewellery, kebaya and beadwork make the perfect follow-up. Comparing museum pieces with what you have just handled is the fastest way to learn.

Little Nyonya Batik is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11:30am to 5pm, Wednesday by appointment, and closed on Sunday. The shop is on level 2 of The Adelphi, unit #02-01. City Hall MRT, on the North-South and East-West lines, is the nearest station, and the walk takes about five minutes.