How a Dubai fine jewellery startup is breaking the glass ceiling and stereotypes

Based in Dubai, Moors & Saints draws inspiration from Moorish architecture, and also contributes to closing the gender gap. The Retail Jeweller World takes a look at the brand with a difference

Moors and Saints, fine jewellery startup in Dubai, is offering unique designs that involve innovative craftsmanship techniques.

Inspired by Moorish architecture globally, Moors & Saints maps out incredible architectural featsand inspiring design structures from their origins in Andalusia to their travels in India and Mexico. Sustainably made and 100% conflict-free, beyond design, the brand also creates both a sustainable and ethical impact upon the industry. 

The brand also makes a social impact with its #BeASaint program which ensures 10% of the label’s profits are donated to a worthy cause every season. This season the brand is supporting e-7 Daughters of the Emirates to cultivate leadership and knowledge amongst the local community of young women.

The jewellery is handmade in Dubai with 100% conflict free and sustainable fine materials — 18 carat gold, sterling silver as well as completely traceable precious and semi-precious stones. Each piece is designed by the creative director and founder, Chama Mechtaly, who’s had more than ten years of experience as a visual artist and studied International Relations as well as Conflict Resolution at Brandeis University, Boston.

Each Moors & Saints collection is designed to reflect the history and personality of cities where Moorish architecture thrived or was fused with local materials and craftsmanship creating powerful examples of the impact of pluralism and inclusion on culture and civilization. The brand also aims to connect different communities to their material heritage through design and showcase physical evidence for a sense of tolerance and pluralism that date back to over a thousand years.

The collections are inspired by sites that serve as examples of the historical coexistence between diverse communities. In today’s divisive climate, it is important to highlight these connections to foster peace and understanding. However, the brand wanted to multiply its social impact, so it set up the #BeASaint program. Through this initiative, it donates 10% of its profits to partner NGOs dedicated to the empowerment of girls and closing the gender gap. This season, their partner is e–7 Daughters of the Emirates, which brings together young women from around the UAE to develop and implement projects that will benefit their communities, cultivating both their leadership skills and their sense of social responsibility.

The collections are also grandeurs in themselves.

Granada: Inspired by the Andalusian splendor of the Alhambra palace, this collection highlights one of its iconic designs, the octagonal star with the poetic mantra: There is no victor but Allah, which served to remind the Nasrid dynasty that modesty and humility are the most important qualities even when basking in success.

Marrakesh: Inspired by the glazed cosmic zellij tiles of the Saadian Tombs, the burial site of the Saadi dynasty, this collection takes an emblematic geometric design familiar to every Moroccan artisan and paints it in the millennial pink colours of the “Pearl of the South” combining traditional craftsmanship and our obsession with the colours of Marrakesh. The city flourished under the Saadi dynasty after Ahmad Al Mansour adopted it as the new capital of Morocco.

Cairo: Inspired by a distinctly edgy pattern we found in the Alazhar mosque which was built by the Fatimids more than a thousand years ago, this piece combines two opposing triangles to form the Seal of Solomon. This symbol, known in Judaism as the Magen David or in Hinduism as the Shatkona has been widely used across Muslim spiritual sites as well. Adorned by an 18kt gold star at the center of the design, the Cairo collection is a tribute to the diversity that shaped the city and ushered it to its golden age.Agra: The Agra collection was inspired by the majestic Taj Mahal, a crisp white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his dear wife Mumtaz Mahal who passed away while giving birth to their 14th child. The Taj Mahal is unquestionably the most famous monument of love ever built. The Taj Mahal merged stylistic elements from Moorish architecture with Persian and Hindu inspired motifs. It stands as an example for the coexistence between Mughal empire Muslims and Hindus.

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller World News