Adding glitter

Every piece of jewellery should tell a story and celebrate beauty, believes Tamjid Abdullah, deputy managing director of Damas Jewellers. He tells Sara Sayed what he strives to achieve when designing a piece of jewellery.

For Tamjid Abdullah, deputy managing director at Damas Jewellers, designing beautiful jewellery has been a life-long journey and a passion. He explains that his pieces are expressions of the human spirit combined with Arabic tradition. Jewellery, he says, "should tell a story, relay a sentiment and celebrate beauty".

He learnt the tricks of the family business under the watchful eye of his father, Mohammad Taher Abdullah, from the age of seven. He later travelled across the world to complete his education in gemmology.

He has since worked with his brothers to build a growing jewellery empire, which has become a major player in the region and is expanding rapidly internationally. Abdullah is quick to point out that his focus is on the creative aspect of the business in jewellery design and manufacturing. His skills in this area complement those of his brothers who manage the business.

The name 'Damas' comes from the word 'adamas' which means diamonds in Arabic and Latin.

"Our name is significant because either way you look at it, we are about diamonds and precious stones. Our family was the first in the region to bring diamonds to the mainstream market," says Abdullah.

I

I remember the first time I saw diamonds in my father's outlet. It was in the late 1960s. I asked him what they were and why they were so expensive. Prior to that we only dealt in gold. Many of our long-standing clients made fun of my father saying, "This small ring? For so much money?" People were used to gold – the bigger the piece the more it was worth. They had difficulty seeing the value of tiny, expensive pieces. Gradually, in the early 1970s, people started gaining more appreciation for diamonds. The economic boom enhanced the market and created extra cash flow in the country. With more disposable income came an increase in the purchasing of luxury items.

I find gemmology very motivating. It is a field that merges design creativity simultaneously with emerging technology. Understanding and using the two together enhances your thinking capacity as you are always trying to figure out how to do the job in the best way possible.

I believe that to be truly successful, you have to be in love with what you are doing. If you work in a profession that you are not happy in, you become disinterested in life. If you love what you are doing, the creativity kicks in and drives you to continue to want to improve. You will strive for perfection. Even if you are working in a job that isn't glamorous, in doing the best that you can do and striving to improve, you will achieve success. If it is just a job that you do without any interest in the field, it will be difficult to be anything but mediocre.

I have no patience for know-it-alls. The minute this kind of person starts talking, they confirm their own ignorance. You have to have the humility to learn from others and to continuously work on your own area of expertise.

When designing a piece, I imagine the type of person who is going to wear it. I design a necklace on a neck that would wear it perfectly – it is as if I have a model in front of me as I work. If I sell the item to a person who complements the piece and is in turn enhanced by it, then I have achieved my goal. Nothing can compare to that satisfaction. The monetary value of the piece means little to me. But watching a piece grow from concept to the design and finally, to being worn and cherished by the right person – that, for me, is where the achievement lies.

Me

Me and my beginnings

I was born in Dubai in the Al Ras area in Deira in 1959. I attended Al Ahmadia school. We always worked in our family business. The whole of Dubai was concentrated in Al Ras back then. Working for the family business as a child was like going to 'gold school'. Our father's workshop was right next to our house. I would come home from school, have lunch and then go straight to the workshop. We had lessons in manufacturing. You have to know how to be successful in the business. It is not just about selling a product – the product has to be a part of you. You have to know it intimately.

Me and my father

My father Mohammad Taher was a school of wisdom in so many aspects – life, education, jewellery, business and more. He was a master and a great teacher. He not only taught his children, but also many others. He even took the time to teach his competitors. They would ask him questions and he would gladly take them under his wing.

My father would design and manufacture jewellery himself. He would also design the displays. In retail, proper merchandising is essential to present jewellery in the best possible light. He taught himself the art of display and merchandising. I don't think anyone in his time took the same care in presentation. His art is self-taught. My father has always had a unique and innovative character. This is why he managed to maintain the upper hand in the jewellery business in the region. He was always on the lookout for something new and different and he knew how to implement innovative ideas successfully.

My father started the wholesale operation in 1971. Within a few years, the wholesale operation served the entire region. Retailers from all over the Middle East would select pieces from our wholesale office. Business owners would select, buy and sell these products in their region. We became very successful in this area and at the same time, helped retailers throughout the region become successful through our innovative designs.

Me and my interests

I have always been interested in the jewellery business. My brothers and I have different talents that we put to use in some part of the business. I know that in many family businesses, the children are not interested in what their parents have started. They prefer to pursue their own careers on a completely different track. That is not the case with my brothers and I. We all love the jewellery business.

Me and my brothers

My brother Tawfik is an expert in process technology. Tawhid
is our accounting and finance head.

I run the design and manufacturing side of the business. One thing that my father wanted was for his sons to complement and complete each other in order to take the business forward. He succeeded in raising us in such a way that he was able to realise this goal.

Me and trust

The jewellery business is a trust business. People put their faith in you as their jeweller. The naked eye can naturally be deceived. Most people can't assess a piece by simply looking at it. People need to be able to trust you to believe that what you are selling them is real and that the design is original and of a high quality. If the piece does not suit them, then we have to be honest and provide them with alternatives. This is a fragile, delicate business. There can be no substitute for properly trained people in this business.

Me and learning the ropes

My father did not want unskilled people in the jewellery business. My first job involved cleaning the floor and preparing tea and coffee. I then learned the melting process [in jewellery manufacture]. Imagine all day melting gold – the heat was intense and there was no air conditioning. My father would tell me to do my homework and then come straight to the workshop. He would say that an educated jeweller is better than an illiterate jeweller.

I then learned [how to operate] the polishing machine. I would work on it all day long and come home with black eyes, ears and nose. It took me five years of training to qualify as a jeweller in my father's eyes. By the time I was 12, I was a trained jeweller.

Me and starting my career

After high school, I had to decide whether to choose another field of study or to continue in this field.

I decided to study gemstone design in Italy, London and New York. All the courses that I took were related to gemstone designing and jewellery.

Since then, I have done over 18 different gemmology courses. People ask me why I continue to take courses.

I love what I do and I am good at it, but like most fields, gemmology is evolving. I need to know the latest developments within the field. You are always having to learn about new stones and about how to recognise fraudulent ones.

I must have sufficient expertise to detect a fraud, even though there are people out there who work very hard at producing fakes. I know that if there is no trust, there is no jewellery industry.

I have seven gemmologists working with me. Like my father was my mentor, I am theirs.

Me and business travel

I would often accompany my father to Europe on business trips. During that time I was exposed to Europe's best and biggest jewellers. I also had the chance to meet with other jewellers around the world. It was very inspiring to be able to see jewellery from around the world. Each country has its own take on jewellery – its own styles.

I started paying attention to what my father was doing – the way in which he designed, manufactured, sold pieces and retailed. I started thinking that we were behind. I began questioning why we couldn't be more creative with our designs. We now have 34 branches in Italy alone.

Me and Italy

I spent a lot of time in Italy. Milano is a trading place with extensive wholesale business, design and manufacturing industries.

Italy is a country of artists and I consider it to be like my second home. Every part of Italy is a story. From Tourino – the beautiful Italian Riviera – to Genoa and Milano, which
is the business place. Then there's Venice, with its beautiful classic architecture, Padova, with its great universities and artistic Florence. The pace of life slows down as you go further south. Italy is a multicultural country possessing many dialects and diverse forms of artistic expression.

Me and my children

I have seven children and they all loved designing jewellery since they were young.

My children have won several awards for jewellery design. There was recently a Tahiti pearl design competition and my daughter Reem, who is doing her PhD, wanted to design a piece. I agreed and she designed three pieces, which we manufactured here. Two won awards. I was very happy.

I never push my children to do this or that.

My son, Abdullah, who is seven, is obsessed with designing jewellery.

He created a collection, which we manufactured here and called it the Spiral Collection. I showed it to the purchasing manager and we sold it all in less than a week. From January until now we have manufactured and sold 7,000 pieces of Abdullah's Spiral Collection.

They have the talent and interest but I do not put pressure on them. I assist them by providing an environment in which they can be creative and I support their ideas. I find it very inspiring to be able to produce pieces that stem from their imagination.

Myself

What inspires your designs?

I get inspiration from my culture and surroundings. Arab ladies are a big source of inspiration, as is our rich culture and the Arabian Sea.

In 2000 I won the best jewellery designed piece in the world at the DeBeers Millennium Awards.

I designed a jewelled burqa. The award meant a lot to me, not only because I was praised for my design creativity, but also for being able to present a part of our heritage in a beautiful way and be recognised for it. I won the award again in 2004.

Every jewellery piece needs a story. It must have representation to give it meaning. There is some fun in it.
It must appeal to a certain sentiment. Otherwise, it is just a rock.

Jewellery must come alive through design. As jewellers, we need to breathe life into it by giving it meaning.

I see the awards as recognition of this. Hopefully our latest piece will also be recognised. It is a beautiful piece with a beautiful story. It has a uniquely Arabic design, adopted from our tradition, culture, history, people, nature and transformed into a beautiful representation. I find this
truly inspirational.

I see myself more as an artist or a craftsman than a manufacturer or businessperson.

My creations have to speak to people. They have to represent something. Every collection in Damas has a story behind it. One hundred years later, I hope that they will have historical and cultural value.

Our jewellery comes with a poetic message. When people think about big stones, often the value of the piece is the sole concern. If that was the case, why not just string dirhams or coins around your neck? The design and the meaning are of ultimate importance.

My jewellery is not just about money.

How has Damas differentiated itself from other jewellery stores in the UAE?

In the late 1980s, the concept of Damas was "beautiful jewellery for everyone". Everyone could walk in to a Damas retail outlet and find what they wanted. But we found that our customers' needs and expectations were diverse and that this situation was not sustainable. We need to differentiate.

We created Damas 22 for low income clients. Damas 18 (semi exclusives) for middle class professionals and tourists and Damas Les Exclusives for the royalty and high-earners. We changed our marketing strategy and our offers so that we could attract the right customers to the right stores.

We began expanding internationally in 1978. Our first outlet was in Muscat in Oman. We then aggressively pursued other countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.

Any jeweller or other business owner who is successful in Dubai can be successful in the region as a whole. They just need to decide to expand and put the effort into it.

We did not have to do any modification to our jewellery to be able to sell in any country. We sell the same designs that we are making here. If you can make it in Dubai, you can start a business anywhere.

Manufacturing, design and sales are interlinked processes. They must remain linked together. Everyone in the organisation must understand the business and work together. If managed well, all parts of the process will act in such a way so as to boost each other.

Good leadership and management are key to success and you only need to look at Dubai itself to realise this.

– Sara Sayed is an Abu Dhabi-based writer.