Bahrani entrepreneur and founder Aysha Abdulmalek launched her jewellery brand AISHA Jewels at the tender age of 17. Reflecting on her journey, she confesses, “While in hindsight, this looks like the perfect path for me to have taken, one has to admit that there was an element of risk-taking at the beginning. The idea of a 17-year-old launching a high-end jewellery brand and succeeding in creating a place for herself in one of mankind’s oldest trades is anything but guaranteed.”
After graduating from high school, Aysha enrolled in Mashro3i, a project designed to support and empower talented Bahraini individuals entering the job market. Despite not securing the first prize, her designs were featured at City Centre Mall in Bahrain’s capital, garnering much attention from visitors. After seeing the reaction to her jewellery, she decided to launch her own brand.
Aysha was supported by her parents, who nurtured her talent and connected her with some of Bahrain’s most renowned artists, helping her turn her artistic ideas into tangible jewellery pieces. “They believed in me and agreed that we should run it as a serious experiment for one or two years. The idea was to seek grand ambitions within a well-controlled risk environment,” she explains of her career beginnings.
This year marks a decade since the inception of AISHA Jewels. In that time, the brand has firmly established its DNA, values and unique aesthetic. Its delicate jewellery creations fall under two collections: Talae’d and Wehaj.
“Talae’d [is] a name we created from the fusion of the word Taleed, signifying ancient heritage, and Qala’ed, the plural of Qala’dah (necklace). It embodies the rich legacy of the Khaleeji Gulf, reimagined with a contemporary flair,” Aysha shares.
“Wehaj is derived from the Arabic word Wahj, signifying the brilliance of diamonds, the warmth of molten gold, and the enchanting fragrance of perfume,” she adds.
She explains that the designs in the Wehaj line transcend traditional jewellery norms, with its intricate details igniting curiosity and inviting closer inspection. The jewellery is designed in-house in Bahrain and outsourced to the company’s production partners, Devji, who assemble each piece over a 10- to 14-week process. Each piece is crafted from 22- or 18-karat gold and finished with natural Bahrani pearls, diamonds or coloured gemstones. In addition to the two collections, Aisha Abdulmalek’s Design Studio offers a range of bespoke design services.
“The jewellery industry is vast and has a deep history in the Gulf region. I think what led us to success was finding our niche quickly, to be more articulate – we were daring,” Aysha shares. “We don’t believe in limiting ourselves and try to create new possibilities through exquisite designs.”
Some of the brand’s most intricate pieces, such as the Al Majarra necklace, feature geometric twists that challenge even the most skilled artisans, but it has never been Aysha’s style to opt for the easy route.
“We have always set high standards for ourselves,” she asserts. “This has driven us to continually reinvent every aspect of our brand, from jewellery design, website development, packaging design, or in-house content creation. We continuously challenge ourselves to surpass the industry standard.”
As the brand transitions from its start-up phase to a more established entity, Aysha acknowledges that there are ongoing demands.
“The real challenge is to keep adapting and evolving with the same flair without losing sight of the company’s founding principles. Despite the exponential growth, my team and I are proud that we are still driven by the relentless pursuit of creativity, happiness, and giving, which are the pillars we built at AISHA Jewels.”
These values have been intrinsic to the company, leading Aysha to forge a close connection between jewellery and charity. “Twinning professional success and charity giving has always been our vision. In 2021, we officially relaunched our annual charity initiative, Atta Al Jawaher. Each year, during Ramadan, we offer a limited-edition piece that people can acquire, with 50 percent of the proceeds donated to a charitable cause, especially amongst orphans.” So far, this initiative has raised over $325,000 (Dhs1,193,562) for charity and continues to be a defining moment for the company each year.
Another key pillar for AISHA Jewels is its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. The brand’s Corporate Social Awareness strategy supports the well-being of the people and communities in the supply chain while minimising negative environmental impacts. “Even though issues like sustainability are tricky for us, being a design house with no involvement on the manufacturing side, we are extremely selective in picking our suppliers and scrutinising their supply chain policies before onboarding them. We found that dealing with suppliers who share our values proved beneficial in many respects.” Aysha shares.
Despite a decade of experience, Aysha still calls herself a young designer. And with the thriving industry in the Middle East, there are plenty of opportunities on the horizon. For her, it all boils down to this: “At AISHA Jewels, we aim to combine the boldness of new artistic visions with the legacy of our cultural heritage, which we think represents the discerning taste of the modern Khaleeji woman.”
Follow @aishajewels on Instagram.
