Brilyo Jewelry has your dream piece to tell your unique love story, and Betina Lagman has all the power to make it so. MEGA talks to power woman Betina about what it takes to build and lead a business carved by her own hands
As a beautiful symbol of love and commitment, a ring may arguably be one of the most intentional and overwhelming purchases you might make in a lifetime. Jewelry pieces that represent a momentous occasion hold grand meaning for a couple headed to their happily ever after. Thus, it requires thorough research and discovery before you land on the One. There’s no one who understands this better than founder Betina Lagman of Brilyo Jewelry, who built the enterprise with her husband Julius Lagman.
In their quest to provide world-class quality jewelry to suit every kind of individual, Betina is a woman who takes up space with her visionary and inventive mind, ambition and purpose, and brilliance—both in the jewelry she creates and within herself.
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The Perfect Ring and More
Betina Lagman was once a bride-to-be. She had an image of the perfect wedding ring in her mind, but Betina and her now husband had a hard time searching for one in the market. So they took matters into their own hands and decided to craft her dream wedding ring together. “It’s mine and my husband’s first baby,” Betina tells MEGA. “And just like a baby, we are hands-on in building the business, in grooming it, in making sure that it maximizes or reaches its potential.”
After three years, Brilyo has become a household name in the diamond and bridal industry. Whether you favor a simple solitaire, a vintage-inspired piece, a shining halo, or just about anything in between, possibilities abound at Brilyo. Choose from a variety of classic designs or customize your own one-of-a-kind ring with a precious and semi-precious gemstone. Take your pick from a wide array: sapphires, colored diamonds, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and more. Their commitment to create pieces that feel like heirlooms-in-the-making and detailed craftsmanship have truly carved out a space in the Philippine jewelry market for quality rings that last a lifetime. The brand extends that ethos to other custom-made pieces such as earrings, necklaces, pendants, and even tiaras. Rings are where they began, but at Brilyo, with Betina at the forefront and leading the helm with her husband, the sparkle is an endless shine.
On Leading as a Power Woman
“It’s about being tough in making difficult decisions, but at the same time having the heart,” Betina says. “That’s my favorite part about being a female entrepreneur.”
Finding that delicate balance and working in that balance is a perspective that women who lead understand. Women are often stated to be too emotional, but those emotions do not compromise the quality of work, the experience, or what is being created. In fact, they shape and cultivate the quality of service provided when it’s also armed with a selection of pieces that make for happy customers. “My biggest motivation is to keep seeing the happy faces of the couples that come to us to get their engagement rings or wedding rings,” Betina continues. “Or sometimes, just momentous occasions in their lives, like anniversaries and birthdays. Seeing their faces light up when they open that jewelry box. I want to keep seeing that, and that’s what we’ve been working on—really giving them quality pieces they can enjoy forever.”
When women like Betina care very deeply about their work and the people it touches, it breeds perseverance that makes for a driving force in the enterprise. However, it doesn’t come without its cons. When it comes to the most challenging part, Betina answers MEGA, “Balancing my time. When you want something, especially in business, there is so much work to do and to accomplish. But then there’s also balancing the family time. As women, we are the pillars of the home—we’re both needed at the office and at home. Sometimes, it’s tough—how to be good at both, and how to be present at both.”
But she does it so gracefully, in the midst of it all. Betina is a woman who gets her passion and fulfillment fueled by the changes she makes and the dreams she weaves both in the confines of her home and office. It’s not easy, but it’s a case of how being both will not nor will it ever be mutually exclusive for women.
Going For Gold…or the Diamond
“It’s unconventional, the way we started,” Betina says. “Because when you say engagement ring, it’s usually a surprise or a secret for the woman. But we were one of those couples who got our rings together, and you’d be surprised that a lot of our clients already get their rings together as well. My husband and I wanted to make sure that I get the ring that I really wanted, because I’ll be wearing that forever,” Betina says. “It’s all about going for something that you want.”
Never settle for the gemstone that doesn’t make your eyes shine, ladies. For women, providing for themselves what they want when they can’t get or find it elsewhere is not being too ambitious—it’s inventive. It’s being spirited and able. It’s being sharp and driven to build, to maintain, to keep.
For her final advice as a power woman, here’s a page out of Betina’s guidebook: “Don’t fit into molds. Don’t be afraid to do something that’s unconventional. If you find an opportunity, like how we found an opportunity in this industry, go for it, study it, and make sure you get good at it.”
Photography DOOKIE DUCAY. Art Direction ANDREW ENCAPAS. Fashion Direction SEAN CASTELO. Beauty Direction MIA CASTRO. Styling ROKO ARCEO, assisted by GISELLE BARNACHEA. Sittings Editor MIA CASTRO. Makeup NIKI MEDINA. Hair EMILIANO BELJOT. Shoot Coordination JOANA FERNANDO and ISABELLA DARANG. Special thanks to GRAPEVINE RESTAURANT and JULIUS LAGMAN
