EMIRATI JEWELRY BRAND
“GAFLA”
MESMERIZES ALL!
n the competitive world of fine jewelry, the UAE is
not far behind and proving its mettle. Most importantly, it
seems to be drawing in thousands of jewelry enthusiasts
from all over the world. This isn’t without reason if you
really look at the magnificent designs being created by
the Dubai-based Gafla-The Arabian Jeweler, founded
eight years ago by three Emiratis: Creative Director
Abdulla BelJafla, Managing Director Hamad Bin Shaiban
and Designer Bushra Bint Darwish. Even though it’s quite
a recent phenomenon, it was something long-awaited.
They embarked on this journey because they wanted to
create objects that one day will be heirlooms passed from
one generation to the next. It all fell into place for them
thanks to the transformative power of drawing that later
changed into reality they had visualized.
Starting with Darwish, she had taken many courses over
the years. More or less, she started off studying diamonds
and gemstones. But it was in 2015 that she enrolled in a
three-month course of jewelry design at the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA) in London. “It’s a technical and
delicate task that involves a lot of precise and accurate
measurements with the help of which these elegant
pieces of jewelry are totally made possible,” she said.
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The growing popularity of Gafla jewelry is very much tied
with the fulfillment of a promise that, it says, is at the
core of its foundation right from the start. “The focus of
our brand is to take the clients on a transcendent journey
throughout the past. When we conduct private v
iewings,
we tell our clients the story of each of our pieces, the
historic inspiration behind them and how we transformed
that inspirational factor into a unique design for women to
wear blissfully,” Darwish said. “The name “Gafla” literally
means caravan in Arabic, which undoubtedly has greater
influence on our brand ethos.”
The team’s overall inspiration, Shaiban said, mainly comes
from the unforgettable journeys of nomadic traders who
traveled from the Gulf to different cities and countries
sourcing food, textile jewelry and many other materials
that this region heavily depended on.
“Growing up in Al Ain culture and heritage has always
been an important aspect of our daily life. Both my
grandmothers had and still have immense clout on my
knowledge about the history of jewelry, food, traditional
garments and a lot of other things. These elements are
the essence of our designs,” she said.
Coming back to women’s love for jewelry, BelJafla said,
“They’re looking for simple yet statement pieces they can
express their style with. And we hope our designs match
their expectations.”
Developed in their backyard, Darwish believes that their
jewelry is genuinely designed to fit anyone and everyone
around the world. “We’ve clients from Europe, Asia, and
Africa and of course the Middle East,” she said.
ARAB WOMEN’S UNCOMPROMISING
APPETITE FOR JEWELRY
This is something Darwish wants to bring before the entire
world. Women in the Middle East have a spectacular taste
for jewelry. In this region, the importance of gold is shown
throughout their history; the heavier the piece is, the
more valuable it would be. “In the Middle East, we women
love to see gold particularly yellow gold. Looking through
my mother’s jewelry that she bought in the 1980s and
the 1990s, I noticed that most of the beautiful items were
yellow gold embedded with diamonds and emeralds.
Compared to that period, today’s Middle Eastern women
prefer more modern pieces that are practical even
with different mixes of gold and collections that have
something to convey,” she said.
And BelJafla also contends that there are no differences
between Arab women and their Western counterparts in
terms of what types of jewelry they buy to define their
status quo.
“I believe every lady chooses the type of jewelry that gives
a new lease of life to her style and personality,” he said.
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