Ethical elegance
Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Her Highness Nourah Al Faisal is not only a pioneer in the fine jewellery realm, she is also spearheading the resourcing of ethical and sustainable materials in the industry.
For Her Highness Nourah Al Faisal, her dream of running a jewellery empire was over a decade in the making. Initially a hobby, as she describes, Her Highness began designing pieces for her mother and then friends, and soon this “hobby became an obsession”, after she found her way to Paris, starting an apprenticeship, and she’s never looked back.
“Nuun Jewels is the culmination of all my experiences making jewellery up to the point of its launch [in 2016],” she explains. “It took me a long time – 15 years – to feel confident enough to start my brand.”
Her Highness is now carving her own identity in the jewellery realm, having found her niche championing ethically sourced gemstones, with her pieces reflecting Saudi heritage, and aims to positively shine a light on Arabic designs. In just four years since launching, Her Highness’ clients stand for everything Nuun projects. “The clients are extremely demanding and they appreciate the importance of sourcing ethically,” she explains. “It has always been something I strongly believe in and it is an essential part of our DNA.”
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For her latest pieces, Her Highness explains it’s full of unique and bespoke pieces that represent finding balance outside of symmetry. “In nature we find beauty without symmetry and I am always searching to find that sweet spot.”
There’s no doubt, Her Highness has found incredible success with Nuun in the last four years. The Nuun boutique now stands alongside the flagship stores of Hermès and Chanel, in Paris’ luxury shopping district, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. However, it hasn’t been an easy ride to the road of success. “When I first started the brand I felt the need to work as others do: create a certain number of collections per year and adhere to a standard strategy,” she says. “I found that extremely stressful and detrimental to my creative process.”
To overcome this, the Nuun founder has implemented a system that is more in-keeping with her “romantic image of a designer”. Embracing the ebb and flow of her creative process, Her Highness moves with the ever-evolving nature of the jewellery house and the wider industry. “In terms of style, Nuun is constantly evolving, as I do,” she says. “I am constantly creating and adding to my bag of tricks.”
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As she continues to be a shining light for Saudi creatives, she reveals it’s “humbling and satisfying” to see the abundance of creative talent emerging from her home country. “What we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg,” she believes. “There is so much more to come over the next few years. The Saudi creative voice, and especially in design, will be a force to be reckoned with and I, for one, can’t wait.”
As for her hopes for the future, Her Highness reveals: “It is my dearest wish that what I create becomes part of the clients’ future family heirloom. I hope that the Nuun woman will take my designs and make them part of her expression and personality.”
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Images: Supplied/Instagram
