Moms and Dads

Stella and Carol Soriano: A Pair of Pearls

by Kevyn Gohu
May 22, 2023

This story about Stella Soriano and her mom managing Lily PH first came out in Modern Parenting’s special Mother’s Day-Father’s Day 2023 Print Edition available on https://sarisari.shopping/.

While many entrepreneurs would be wary of working with family members, Stella Soriano enjoys the unique work dynamic she shares with her mom, Carol, in their bespoke jewelry business, Lily PH. One aspect that comes to mind is their candid nature. “We’re comfortable with each other, we can be blunt and direct to the point without judgment. Everything is very objective; we don’t take
things personally,” she says.

How did Lily PH start?

Carol and Stella Soriano share similar origin stories about how they became jewelers. When Carol began her buy-and-sell jewelry venture after a few vintage sterling silver pieces in Thailand inspired her, it was only after organizing her drawers and discovering the joy of incorporating the pearls and semi-precious stones that she found in some of her own jewelry that began Lily PH’s journey into bespoke pieces. “Stella had a similar story and discovered my stash of semi-precious stones and vintage components, then started piecing things together,” Carol shares. “She made a pair of earrings and showed it to a friend who bought it right away and wore it to a wedding.”

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But while the iconic Sampaguita line appears to pay homage to Lily PH’s origins of using vintage components and pearls, it also reveals Stella’s and Carol’s desire to work with locally-sourced materials and local craftsmen. “We fell in love with the subdued luster of mother of pearl and its versatility. We also discovered local master craftsmen who are skilled in hand carving the pieces,” Stella adds.

From one designer, there were now two.

Creating complementary designs

Many of Lily PH’s bespoke jewelry reflects the mother-daughter duo’s love for using unique materials, combining similar color schemes, and more “squarish” and structural designs. That said, this doesn’t mean they’re exactly two peas in a pod, design-wise. In a business that relies on style and aesthetics, there will always be different preferences between Carol’s gravitation towards vintage 60s and 70s style and Stella’s more contemporary taste.

Although some pieces will reflect “more Carol than Stella” and vice versa, polishing and finalizing jewelry designs is a joint effort. “When neither one of us is inspired by a design, we show it to each other for opinion and approval. We’re each other’s sounding boards. Whenever we launched new designs, it’s always a unanimous decision on whether or not to sell it,” Stella explains.

To read the full article, download the e-mag or buy a copy from sarisari.shopping.

Lily PH’s most precious gem

Semi-precious stones and pearls may be valuable to their business, but Lily PH’s hidden gem is Stella’s 1-year-old son, Maxi. Now in the same position her mother once was, Stella draws inspiration from Carol, who she praises for her work ethic and being straightforward. “She’ll give me a truthful answer about what she thinks about my designs,” Stella shares. “When I ask her to make or design something
for the following day, she will make sure to have it done well, and on time.”

Now that Stella is a mom herself, Carol doesn’t mind spending some “Lala” time with her grandson, Maxi. One of the resolutions she wants to fulfill as she spends time with him is to develop Maxi’s awareness and appreciation of the arts. “[I want] to expose him to other forms of art like music and dance. I am into adult ballet and I want him to explore dance as a creative outlet or expression,” she says. Among other resolutions, “I want to be present with him, to be able to witness the wonder and joy of life through his eyes.”

The pearls adorning motherhood

While Maxi plays with Lala Carol in another room, Stella shares her appreciation for her mom and also her progress in juggling motherhood and work. “My office is separated from Maxi’s playroom so the tiny jewelry components I have are kept far away from him. He isn’t allowed to play inside the office unattended. But since he sleeps with us in our bedroom and my personal jewelry is in the same room, I keep them in a drawer out of reach from him.” She then laughs, “But when he figures out how to open drawers, I’ll have to child-proof it further.”

Carol and Stella Soriano’s success as Lily PH transforms the meaning of “it takes a village to raise a child.” And although there are constant struggles with parenting and work, there are many moments Carol and Stella share that adorn motherhood—just like the pearls of Lily PH’s pieces.

To read the full article, download the e-mag or buy a copy from sarisari.shopping.