IF you happen to meet Jade Seah, look at her ears.

Chances are, the MediaCorp actress-host will have a small fortune there by way of several diamond studs. They are part of her diamond collection. The 28-year-old is mad about the stone, calling it "the most beautiful natural thing from God".

Seah told The New Paper: "It's like how people invest in wine or art. I invest in quality diamonds because I like them."

Though her parents are aware of her hobby, she didn't want to tell us exactly how many diamonds she owns or how big they are so they won't be shocked.

Seah, who was The New Paper Flame Awards Babe Of The Year in 2006 and first runner-up in Miss Singapore Universe that same year, would admit only that she has more than five quality diamonds and has spent a five-figure sum on them.

She has put down another five-figure sum in a business venture with a partner.

The online shop Candy Cutz will be launched at the end of this month and sells ear studs set with diamonds and other precious stones.

But her passion doesn't end there.

One of her most interesting - and possibly lucrative - sideline gigs is being a dealer in unset diamonds.

Introduced to the business last year by a family friend, Seah works as a middleman between a diamond company and customers who want to design their own jewellery.

She earns a commission with every successful deal, but declined to say how much she has pocketed.

While she is not a big spender and thinks twice before buying something, she has several other indulgences.

She has spent another five-figure sum on bags from luxury labels Chanel, Miu Miu and Yves Saint Laurent.

Seah refused to give us exact figures, saying she was brought up not to talk about money in such detail.

Earlier this year, she splurged just under $10,000 on a six-day snowboarding holiday in Niseko, Hokkaido. Another time, she spent a little less than $10,000 on a two-week holiday in Europe.

Less than six months ago, she invested a five-figure sum to set up her online boutique, www.maryjulian.com.

But it isn't as if the dough rolls in constantly. She lost a substantial amount during the 2008 stock market crash.

Adding up all these "five-figure sums", she is likely to have spent at least $60,000 on her businesses, diamonds, bags and holidays.

Not all of it came from her MediaCorp salary. She has encashed her unit trusts and withdrawn money from her hard-earned savings since she started working at 15.

Apart from modelling, which paid her a few hundred to a few thousands dollars per assignment, she has worked as a waitress and a cosmetics salesgirl.

Seah, who said she comes from a modest family, was in public relations and advertising before joining MediaCorp in 2006, and has endorsed products like Nivea and Fisherman's Friend.

She also hosts private events and makes public appearances, which pay quite well too, she claimed.

Her MediaCorp contract ends at the end of this year and she is open to renewing it.

Seah, who just finished filming Channel 8 police drama C.L.I.F, said she tries to save a four-figure sum every month.

So much so that she now has, yes, yet another "five-figure sum" in her bank account and hopes to buy her own apartment in two years' time.

This article was first published in The New Paper.