This Houston Diamond Duo Brings High Style and Real Substance Together — From Vietnam to Houston With Love
Duyen and Marc Nguyen Believe in Love, Work, Family and Bringing the Shimmer
BY PC Studios // 06.15.22Marc and Duyen Nguyen at La Colombe d’Or. (Photo by Gittings Photography and jewelry from Valobra Master Jewelers)
This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.
This is the fourth of Houston’s Diamond Duos, presented by Valobra Master Jewelers. The new series honors, recognizes and congratulates the Bayou City’s most dynamic, gracious and steadfast couples. This Diamond Duo installment spotlights Duyen & Marc Nguyen.
You’d be hard pressed to find a couple with more fashionable flair than Duyen and Marc Nguyen. They are the very embodiment of je ne sais quoi, making a statement everywhere they go. Yet there’s plenty of substance to this stylish duo.
The Nguyens know the value of hard work, higher education, commitment to family and investing in the community. Those are just a handful of reasons, this special couple is the latest of Valobra Master Jewelers’ Diamond Duos.
Originally from Vietnam, Duyen and Marc both emigrated to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War. They were teenagers and hadn’t met each other yet. That would come later. Marc and his family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, while Duyen and her family settled in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Both of them moved to Houston in 1981, but their paths didn’t cross until 1985 at the University of Houston. Duyen was following pre-heath pursuits while Marc was earning his masters degree in engineering.
“As immigrants, we both quickly learned the values of freedom and choices which were often taken for granted, and that such values came with responsibility,” Marc Nguyen says. “We set our goals for higher education because we knew we could. Only in America.”
They began dating in 1986, carving out time for each other in between their whirlwind work and school schedules. Embracing the opportunities before them, Duyen and Marc skipped socializing or parties in lieu of accomplishing their goals.
Perseverance and patience motivated their decisions and they began to see their efforts blossom. Marc and Duyen were married in July 1991 and the day after they said their “I Do’s,” Duyen received her acceptance letter to the University of Texas Dental School in Houston. A few years later, Marc left his engineering job and went to The University of Texas Dental School in San Antonio.
The couple returned to Houston in 2000 with a growing family. Now parents to Misha and twins Lauren and Chloe, the Nguyens’ life is certainly busy, but also full of the joyful moments that come with balancing professional lives (they share a dental practice) with family. When their fourth daughter Anais was born, they knew their family was complete.
“Even when working, Duyen always made herself available to the children. She was always there at every single event in the four girls’ lives,” Marc says. “She sets an exemplary model as the modern female balancing her career and family perfectly.”
He also noted his wife’s culinary skills, saying every dish she creates is “healthy, tasty with a nod to traditional home-cooked meals.”
Duyen is equally effusive in talking about Marc as a father and a philanthropist.
“What I love most about Marc is his relationship with our daughters,” Duyen Nguyen says. “He takes care of them as much as I would. Marc has a generous heart. He always offers help to anyone in need.”
This couple is passionate about health care and arts organizations, actively supporting those making a difference in Houston and beyond.
Duyen joined the board of The Houston Ballet Company in 2016 and was recognized as one of Houston’s Best Dressed Women in 2015, which includes a heavy charity component. Marc serves on the Houston Art Alliance board. Together, this true husband and wife team has co-chaired multiple fundraising events, including Operation Smiles, Art League Houston and Houston Art Alliance.
“We’re lucky that we both have similar interests in everything in life,” Duyen says. “From supporting charity organizations, enjoying and supporting the arts like theater, ballet, opera to cooking, listening to classical music on Sunday mornings. Or listening to jazz in the evenings, going out to dinner or bars.”
They also share a keen fashion sense that’s simultaneously complementary and individual. Duyen leans into the looks made famous by icons such as Bianca Jagger, Nan Kemper, Jackie Onassis and Audrey Hepburn, but always makes it her own.
“My mantra: Be real. Be myself,” Duyen Nguyen says. “Only wear what fits and makes me feel confident.”
Another bonus of the Nguyens’ happy relationship?
“Marc loves shopping with me and for me,” Duyen adds.
Travel is also an important part of this family’s experiences and the Nguyens revel in celebrating special holidays with their daughters. Especially New Year’s. Past trips have included journeys to Venice, London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Berlin, Dubai, New York City and Miami. But they are equally thankful for the hiking sojourns, which connect them to nature. Family is at the heart of every experience.
“We love to travel together, with the best trips always including our daughters,” Duyen says.
As they approach their 31st wedding anniversary in July, it’s clear journeying through life together is what the Nguyens do best.
To learn more about Valobra Master Jewelers and its exquisite collection of jewelry and luxury timepieces sure to create lasting memories and be treasured forever, visit the full website. Or stop by this fourth generation of master jewelers at Valobra’s Houston showroom located at 2150 Westheimer Road. Be sure to stay tuned to find out who will be the next special Valobra Diamond Duo. . .
New Diamond Duo couples will be chosen and celebrated in this special series throughout the year.