Modern jewelry brands often succeed by relying on family connections or creative partnerships. A new book, Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duo & Generation Gems, explores how these relationships shape the industry. Beth Bernstein co-wrote the book with journalist Sonia Esther Soltani.
The authors look back at history to understand the present. Coco Chanel worked with Fulco di Verdura before he started his own company. Jeanne Boivin hired designers like Suzanne Belperron and Juliette Moutard. Louis-François Cartier founded the company, and his son Alfred took over in 1874. Alfred’s three sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, helped establish the brand’s global reputation.
Across the Atlantic, Tiffany & Co. followed a similar pattern. Charles Lewis Tiffany started the business, and his son Louis Comfort Tiffany carried the vision forward. The brand also worked with designers like Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, and Paloma Picasso.
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These historical examples inspired Bernstein and Soltani. They wanted to look at the human side of contemporary jewelry. Their book is divided into two chapters. One section focuses on Dynamic Duos, which includes married couples, siblings, and friends. The other section covers Generational Gems, highlighting families who keep the business running.
In these modern partnerships, personal trends often dictate professional outcomes. For the husband-and-wife team behind ARTËMER diamond rings, Tomer Michaelin and Tanya Michaelin, the line between life and work is thin. They say they share hobbies, chores, and dreams. “We are both very visual and imaginative people,” Tomer says. “We just pull out this creative force from one another.”
For siblings Jessica Busiashvili and Michael Busiashvili of the brand OX, the relationship is a mix of logistics and art. They run the company together, which means they handle everything from the excitement of creation to the anxiety of costs. Michael describes his role as the realist, while Jessica is the dreamer. They work in sync to make things happen.
Friends Mollie Good and Stephanie Walters Abramow met while working at another jewelry house. They started Walters Faith to focus on bold link designs. Stephanie handles the operations and business side, while Mollie focuses on design and visuals. They trust each other enough to let the other person handle their specific area.
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Business in the blood
Sometimes, the connection runs in the DNA. Nadine Aysoy is the third generation of her family in the jewelry trade. Her grandfather, P.N. Ferstenberg, was a sightholder for De Beers and had factories in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, and Sydney. He supplied diamonds to Bulgari and even the King of Belgium. Nadine grew up surrounded by stones and learned the business from a young age.
She left the industry for finance and returned later in life. At 50, she followed her passion for gemology. She found that she preferred making jewelry to selling it. She created her brand under her married name to establish her own reputation.
Omi Gems is a six-generation family business. Omi Nagpal, Preeti Nagpal, and Niveet Nagpal run the company today. Niveet says their secret is patience. “When you first join a family business, you spend time asking questions,” he says. “You have to listen to the more experienced family members until you find your niche.”
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The concept of family extends beyond just blood relations in some cases. Lalaounis, a brand known for hand-crafted jewelry inspired by ancient Greece, is run by the founder’s daughters. Demetra Lalaounis says her earliest memories are of hammering in the family workshop at the foot of the Acropolis. She notes that they continue to use traditional techniques passed down to them.
Sometimes, the path back to the family business is a winding one. Selim Mouzannar of the Beirut-based house resisted joining the family trade at first. He wanted to be a journalist. His daughter Ranwa studied hotel management and planned a career in food. Their son Namir focused on math and science. Each found a way to apply their unique skills to the family’s work.
Generational success often relies on maintaining the old ways while introducing new ideas. Selim Mouzannar says they honor the craftsmanship of the past while injecting more joy and contemporary elements into the designs. The result is a blend of tradition and modernity that appeals to a new generation of clients.
