Charmaleena is a Saudi design house and the creation of sister duo Leena, creative director and designer, and Hala El Khereiji, managing director. With a collective background in banking and jewellery design, art appreciation and a lot of hard work, Charmaleena was born from Saudi to the world with love and passion.
Their unique collections celebrate strength, love, and storytelling with a very personal approach that reflects who they are as leading Saudi women.
Tell us more about yourselves and how did your relationship with jewelry-making start?
It really all started with love. We had a dream, a lot of passion and we put it into a plan to achieve it. We challenged ourselves and took every opportunity that came to us. Dedication, knowledge and believing in yourself was key.
Was having your own brand always an objective?
Yes, it truly was.
And how did Charmaleena come together?
A lot of research was done before we started. It is the most successful tool in starting any business. We believe a lot of attention needs to be driven towards innovation, research and creativity.
We launched Charmaleena Jewellery in 2012, with a vision to build a Saudi brand that is adorned worldwide. We wanted to create a brand that connects with people’s emotions and feelings, one that translates and transports our world to the rest of the world. From our heart to your heart.
As Co-Founders and Sisters, is business easier when it’s a family affair?
Running a business is never easy. It’s a work in progress. Every family business faces unique issues and challenges as well as many opportunities. We believe family businesses have a lot of positive aspects. There is a greater alignment in leadership because there is a shared vision and DNA.
Roles and responsibilities need to be defined to succeed, with a lot of shared trust with your partners. There is always a higher level of loyalty and commitment in a family business. We overlook every aspect of our company, we work together as a team to produce beautiful jewellery for the discerning contemporary woman that appreciates quality and individuality.
What kind of materials do you like to use the most?
We work with 18k gold, diamonds and precious stones. We love using different coloured stones by mixing them together .
Arabic calligraphy and cultural symbols seem to be at the heart of several collections, is this resonating well with international clients?
We wanted our brand to reflect the love for poetry and Arabic calligraphy. So each year, we design a piece inscripted in Arabic poetry inspired by the meaning of the collection. The Arabic calligraphy bracelets come from our second collection. These elements are recurrent themes throughout each of our collections. Every handmade Arabic calligraphy bracelet can be customized with an inscription in Arabic chosen by the client.
The competition in the Arab jewelry market is strong, how do you distinguish yourselves?
Intricate artistry is at the root of our brand. And beauty feeds its soul. We find inspiration in our culture, wanderlust, architectural forms, and in fairy tales from far away places, but there is no place like home where everything starts from. Our mother is our biggest source of inspiration as well.
As Saudi jewellery designers, a lot of our art pieces are inspired by our heritage, Arabic poetry and calligraphy, they capture influences from time spent abroad. Jewellery creates a cultural and artistic bridge between the east and the west, and hence it creates a strong niche in both the national and international fine jewellery arenas.
Our vision for Charmaleena is to embrace innovation and translate this into attractive timeless pieces of fine jewellery. Every collection we create is inspired by a special moment and stage which we have personally captured and treasured. In our designs you will find a story, an element of fun or a surprise within the piece. Playfulness is an aspect that sets the brand apart from the competition. To understand a Charmaleena piece you have to look twice to find the surprise.
You are an inspiration to other Saudi designers, what is a piece of advice you would give?
Follow your dreams.
Finally, where can we purchase Charmaleena?
At our Charmaleena store which is very true to its roots. It’s our voice to the world and a true reflection of the brand’s identity, where we make our customers feel special. We are located at the heart of Jeddah in Al Rawadah branch at El Khereiji group building.
In Riyadh at Plenty, in the GCC in Bahrain at the Bahrain Jewelry Center (BJC), in Dubai at Ounass, and we ship worldwide from our e-commerce store charmaleena.com.
Text by Victor Gee
