Bearer of Legacy-Selim Mouzannar

I don’t believe that just because one is born into a family of jewellers, he or she will have a propensity towards the art. However, growing up in an environment filled with jewellery definitely enriched my creative processSelim Mouzannar hails from a family of jewellers who served the Ottoman Empire since the 19th century. As a child, he spent his time in his father’s workshop in the heart of Beirut’s historical jewellery souks. After studying mineralogy in France and Belgium, he was hired by a renowned jewellery group to manage its workshops in Saudi Arabia. Shortly after, he went to Thailand where he led the life of a stone hunter in ruby mines near the Burmese border. It is here that he had a life changing experience, of being stalled by a local militia at the Cambodian border. This misadventure made him an eternal advocate of nonviolence.

Selim is passionate about the Ottoman and Art Deco architecture from Beirut’s past – a fertile blend of oriental culture with traces of the Colonial French presence. He has put all his energy into restoring his family home in the old neighborhood of Ashrafieh, where he currently lives. It is in the comfort of his ancient home that he finds his inspiration. Mouzannar likes to confront the past with the present, which is why his jewellery represents a heritage in perpetual movement.

You come from a family of jewellers. Is it right to say that you are naturally inclined towards jewellery?
I don’t believe that just because one is born into a family of jewellers, he or she will have a propensity towards the art. However, growing up in an environment filled with jewellery definitely enriched my creative process.

How do you blend your Lebanese upbringing and design elements from the royal courts of Ottoman – because much of your jewellery is a cross section between the two?
It is mainly the impact of all the things I lived through and Beirut is steeped in history, including 400 years of Ottoman Empire.

Fine jewellery is being democratised, it is not about financial investment anymore. The main investment today is to wear the jewellery one buys and to feel good wearing itYou stand for nonviolence and you are an eternal optimist – how do these reflect in your designs?
There is a lot of colour in my jewellery. I think they represent happiness, peace and hopefulness.

How would you define your label’s spirit?
Powerful like the women who wear my pieces, colourful like the spectrum of the gems I use, and poetic like the nostalgia of Beirut and many other cities.

Can you walk us through your latest collection?
In my latest collection, I revisited our Kastak collection with a new version of charms combined with transparent blue and rusty red enamel. Each charm has a meaning of peaceful messages.

From a spark (idea) to how it becomes a finished piece of jewellery, can you walk us through your creative process?
There is no code for the process in my mind. It could be the sources of what has impacted my life, mainly nature.

The precious side comes not only from the financial value but from the emotion that a jewel can diffuse. A metal like copper, aluminum and a natural stone like tourmaline or chrysoberyl are always interesting to work withWhere do you think high/fine jewellery stands in the market today, amidst consumers and what does the future for this market look like?
Fine jewellery is being democratised, it is not about financial investment anymore. The main investment today is to wear the jewellery one buys and to feel good wearing it.

Define the style sensibility of the wearer (audience) of your jewellery. The women who wear our pieces are modern, simple, cosmopolitan and timeless.

What precious stones and metals do you love working with?
I like working with all natural materials, including wood. The precious side comes not only from the financial value but from the emotion that a jewel can diffuse. A metal like copper, aluminum and a natural stone like tourmaline or chrysoberyl are always interesting to work with.

In your experience of travelling, which country has been the most inspiring and why?
Many cultures and people from many countries have left a mark in my mind. The one that is the most inspiring is our Mother Earth and human beings.