Last Tuesday, I had the opportunity to visit Luzerne for the launch of its SG60 Diamond Collection. I came away having learned so much—and deeply inspired.
Luzerne, a proud Made with Passion tableware brand, commemorates Singapore’s 60 years of independence with the SG60 Diamond Collection – a commemorative range of specially designed and handcrafted ceramic plates and cups that depict milestones of Singapore’s progress over 6 decades, telling the story of Singapore through the artistry of porcelain.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the SG60 Diamond Collection was officiated by Ms Denise Phua, Member of Parliament and Mayor of Central Singapore District. In her speech, she shared how social enterprises can make business more meaningful—though not without challenges, such as balancing profitability with giving back to social causes.
There are three collections namely the SG60 Diamond Plate, the SG60 Singapore 6-Plate Set, and SG60 Kopi Set.
The SG60 Diamond Plate is a special charity piece, created with the goal of raising $600,000 to support mental health initiatives. This mission aligns with Ms Elaine Lek, Luzerne’s CEO (it’s her family business) and co-founder of the PleaseStay. Movement—an advocacy group championing a coordinated national strategy for suicide prevention.
To date, more than 20 social service agencies have expressed interest in receiving the SG60 Diamond Plates for their own fundraising efforts, which Luzerne will distribute among these charities. Separately, Luzerne will launch a fundraising initiative for 10 of the plates in collaboration with Community Chest Singapore (ComChest), with all proceeds going to the President’s Challenge, The Straits Times School, Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF), Samaritans of Singapore and Limitless Singapore.
Sepia is the chosen colour theme for this collection—evoking the historical and memorable chapters of Singapore’s journey since independence.
If you’d like to get your hands on these nostalgic pieces, the SG60 Singapura Plate, the SG60 Singapura 6-Plate Set, and the SG60 Kopi Set are all available for purchase here.
We were also treated to a wonderful tour of Luzerne’s history, and here are a few fun facts that I found especially fascinating:
Luzerne started off as a product distributor, but when the Asian Financial Crisis hit, it had to reassess its business and decided to focus on ceramic production—hence becoming what it is today. If there’s anything to learn, it’s that we must remain nimble and adaptable—and that’s truly the Singapore spirit.
Luzerne’s main customers are renowned institutional names. So, when you are dining at a five-star hotel restaurant or a high-end café, you might want to peek at the back of the plate (when it’s empty!)—it may well be made by Luzerne. They are also ceramic ware providers to prominent regional and international family names.
Given Luzerne’s international standing, it is also halal-certified. It was amusing because I was exploring Luzerne’s display by myself before the tour and noticed so many halal logos stamped on the plates—I wondered what the significance was. As it turns out, being halal-certified for Luzerne means their products are free from animal bone, which is traditionally used to make bone china. In other words, this not only reflects cultural sensitivities but beneficially broaden Luzerne’s market reach. Business 101!
So, thank you, Luzerne, for the invitation—and what really made my day was finally understanding what it means when they say a product is Made with Passion.
