From the simple lines and abstract forms of Egyptian, Roman and Byzantine motifs to the elaborate statement pieces of the Bedouin (Arabic-speaking nomadic people who have historically inhabited the Arabian Peninsula), Jordan is steeped in jewelry heritage.
And now those styles are being reinterpreted as contemporary one-of-a-kind pieces by women — architects, artists and graphic designers — in Amman, the country’s capital.
“The jewelry scene is growing exponentially in Amman,” said Ola Medanat, the founder of the Oh Em Jay fine jewelry brand, who was trained as an architect and is based in the city.
“When I first started designing jewelry in 2012, anything different would usually be coming from Egypt or Lebanon, especially Beirut,” she said. “But as time went on, more women entered the arena.
“Also, the availability of 3-D printing has made it even easier for anyone to create jewelry — even if it is one piece, you can prototype it and produce it at home, which makes this a very attractive business to be in.”
Oh Em Jay
Ms. Medanat’s brand has a broad range: from the necklace with diamonds and two marquise-cut rubies that caught the eye of Queen Rania of Jordan during the 2017 Amman Design Week to the playful Chonky bracelets, oversize links of brightly colored resin accented with dangling baroque pearls.
With Arabic calligraphy and numerology very popular among Middle Eastern jewelry wearers, the collection that Ms. Medanat introduced in August has drawn particular attention. For instance, the sterling silver coin at the center of her 18-karat gold Lira ring ($600) was delicately engraved with the Arabic word for love. And 18-karat gold pendants (starting at $200) depict Hindu-Arabic numerals that are considered auspicious.
Ms. Medanat said that, in addition to gold, she also enjoys working with older, reclaimed gems, including lapis lazuli, black diamonds and smoky quartz, which she buys from local dealers: “Old stones are beautiful. They have a unique color and texture that allows you to do a lot with them.”
Her designs are sold at the Collective Jewellery Gallery and AlDar shops in Amman and online via Wolf & Badger.
Dana Rousan Jewellery
“I wouldn’t call myself a jeweler per se as everything I do runs organically alongside my art,” Dana Rousan said.
The former graphic designer and creative director introduced her first contemporary jewelry collection in 2017, during Amman Design Week, and then at Paris Design Week the following year.
Ms. Rousan is also an artist, and elements within her mixed-media abstract works, one of which is in the permanent collection at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, provided the spark for a line of wearable art she introduced this year.
It included the demi-fine Circles collection, with rings and asymmetrical earrings created in silver and plated in 18-karat yellow gold (starting at $200). Each piece is made by silversmiths in the Sweifieh neighborhood of Amman, a hub of jewelry shops and artisans, and the pieces are sold through her website and Instagram, as well as the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts gift shop and the AlDar boutique.
While her circular designs might look simple, the artist said that a viewer would soon discover that “there’s a whole lot going on.”
“I like to create depth and layers, two designs in one,” she said. “Just when you think that one piece is like the other, there’s a catch. So, even if you wear a third piece, it would be a continuation again to the other two pieces. The idea is to keep revealing different aspects of the story.”
Randa Jabaji Jewellery
Having completed a four-month jewelry making course in 2007 and a two-month course in stone setting in Florence, Italy, in 2008, Randa Jabaji was eager to learn more back in her home city, Amman. But after discovering it had no jewelry programs, she created the Design Institute Amman in 2013.
At first, the institute invited visiting design instructors to conduct workshops, but by 2016 it was offering its own design and production courses to classes of as many as 10 students.
“Some, not all, young designers go online, look at a popular jeweler, tweak the design a little and then put their name on it,” said Ms. Jabaji, who has also worked in graphic design, animation and video editing. “That’s what I am trying to undo, that’s why we have the Design Institute Amman, to encourage creativity and help people to become more competitive in the business of jewelry design.”
In 2018 Ms. Jabaji and Carmela Pipicelli, an Italian jewelry maker, debuted a demi-fine jewelry line, called Carmanda. Its 2024 additions included a gold-plated Rumi Bombé piece with intricate lattice work inspired by Islamic motifs from Anatolia and Southern Mediterranean cultures. Carmanda is sold at the Rumman Collective boutique and Mecca Mall, both in Amman.
Under her own name, Ms. Jabaji — who is a qualified scuba diver — introduced three limited-edition fine jewelry rings in 2019, in an effort to raise awareness of coral bleaching in the Red Sea as a result of climate change. The sculptural Coral and Coral Sponge designs ($740-$1,000) were cast in silver and finished with dark orange and cobalt blue enamel, mixed with white sand from Aqaba, a Red Sea beach resort. Ms. Jabaji now intends to expand the collection, which is available through the Randa Jabaji Jewellery and Carmanda Jewelery pages on Instagram.
Bedui Jewels
Kaity Kawar, the founder of Bedui Jewels and a brand developer who is based in Amman, has been eager to keep her country’s crafts traditions alive through the jewelry she designs.
Produced in silver and gold plate by local artisans and studios specializing in 3-D printing, her demi-fine jewelry collections ($20-$80) reference Bedouin weaving designs (called sadu, with broad stripes) and traditional Middle Eastern cross-stitch embroidery (called tatreez, with geometric patterns).
The Bedouin Saru Bangle, in gold plate and enamel, displays an abstract cypress tree pattern, representing strength and resilience according to an accompanying information card. And the description included with a camel charm pendant explains the animal’s significance to the nomadic Bedouin.
“I think about modern-day Bedouin, or nomads who are constantly on the move,” Ms. Kawar said. “Like me, they want to wear jewelry that is comfortable and light. That’s where the modernization happens in my work. I want them to be worn by any age or gender.” Her jewelry is available on the Bedui Jewels website and in the Rumman Collective shop.
Hala Ghatasheh
Hala Ghatasheh, an architect and multidisciplinary artist, began creating experimental custom jewelry in 2016 in Jordan. Now her one-off designs are fashioned from unconventional materials such as black steel, copper and bronze at her studio in Berlin.
Each piece, or body-specific sculpture as she prefers to call them, is designed to follow the body’s topography, and her bespoke pieces often take shape during fittings. A custom collar in black steel that was commissioned by a client, for example, began on the shoulder and then snaked down the upper back.
“It reminded me of the spine structure and so it just felt right to be worn in that context,” Ms. Ghatasheh said.
In a similar vein, an intricate geometric earpiece in black steel ($300) can sit behind the ear. “Jewelry is a unique form of self-expression and just like a tattoo, it makes a much better statement when worn in this way, as opposed to wearing something that has been mass produced,” she said.
Ms. Ghatasheh, an avid supporter of Jordanian art and culture, said she plans to visit her homeland in the coming months to learn more about the traditions of artisan jewelry making.
“We have such a rich culture in the region so it’s wonderful to see that it is being reinterpreted, instead of copied, and that these art forms are being preserved as a result,” she said. “There is a lot of innovative design coming out of Jordan. I love its thriving spirit.”
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