For close to five decades, William Tay has worked across the jewellery arms of BP de Silva Holdings, shaping metal with hands that carry both strength and care. Those who work alongside him often notice the contrast first. In one moment, he applies force with confidence, hammering metal into form. In another, he moves with a gentleness that demands restraint and patience. It is this balance that defines both his craft and his character.
Jewellery making asks for different kinds of touch. Wax carving requires sensitivity, where a fraction too much pressure can erase hours of work. Soldering demands precision and calm, steady hands. Sawing through dense sheets of metal calls for strength, control, and rhythm. William moves seamlessly between these moments. He understands when to ease his grip and when to apply force, reading the material and responding to it with instinct shaped by experience.
His ability to carve organic forms is particularly remarkable. Soft curves, natural movement, and a sense of life emerge from the shapeless wax material under his hands. Perhaps it is no coincidence that he also loves tending to plants. Watching things grow, understanding when to intervene and when to let nature take its course, mirrors the way he approaches his work at the bench. Both acts require patience, attention, and respect.
Despite nearly fifty years of experience, he approaches his craft without ego; letting the results speak quietly for themselves. Time and again, he amazes those around him, not through spectacle, but through consistency and care. Today, as he mentors the next generation, he passes on more than technique. He passes on a way of working, where strength is guided by restraint, precision is tempered with patience, and true mastery is expressed not in force, but in knowing exactly how much to apply.
