Tales of the Nile: Exploring New High Jewellery Creations by Azza Fahmy 

‘Tales of the Nile’ is the intriguing name of a high jewellery collection by the Egyptian luxury design house Azza Fahmy, famed for its brave use of mixed metals, engraving and sculptured elements. Just recently the second chapter was unveiled to celebrate celestial motifs and natural beauty embellished with succulent tanzanites, rubellites and aquamarines. What captivated me about these new designs was not just the gems, but the intricacy of gold work, with scrolling calligraphic fonts and crescent moon-shaped filigree. They’re evocative of ancient golden treasures and entirely suited to the modern jewellery-loving woman who appreciates sizeable minerals, feminine details and complex hand-woven chains. Let’s take a closer look at the collection and its new additions, guided by the insights of the brand’s Head Designer (and Azza Fahmy’s youngest daughter), Amina Ghali. 

Is there anything more evocative of Egypt than the River Nile? The Great Pyramid of Giza has thousands of years of history on its side, but it’s not a representation of what Egypt is today with its bustling metropolises and surviving Ottoman landmarks. The River Nile, on the other hand, has been a steadfast fixture throughout all the twists and turns in Egypt’s long and fascinating history. No wonder, then, that the Azza Fahmy team chose the longest river in Africa as their creative starting point for a new series of high jewels. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to see pieces in both the first and second chapters of the Tales of the Nile High Jewellery collection. The first phase of the offering was launched in 2024, introducing us to two key inspirations: Soraya, meaning a cluster of stars, which leans into a celestial Ottoman aesthetic, and Wonders of Nature, which is the brand’s whimsical tribute to the natural world. Rather than launching new collections, Azza Fahmy has made a conscious decision to keep Tales of the Nile as an open-ended project. Pieces will be added on a continuous basis to reflect all aspects of Nile life, whether that’s the water itself, the sand, or the skies above. These aspects are presented through a palette of emeralds, rubellites, opals, tanzanites and aquamarines, coupled with 18k yellow gold and poetic Arabic calligraphy (with some writing being hidden on the inside of the jewels as if guarding a secret). Head designer Amina Ghali chooses to start the design process with a specific gemstone, allowing its unique qualities to shape the creation. If I had to describe the necklaces, bracelets and earrings that I encountered in just a few words, they would be timeless, personal, intricate, colourful, and detailed. 

So, let’s dive right into the jewels that I had the pleasure of seeing at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition. There are 12 new pieces that continue the Soraya and Wonders of Nature stories, each fashioned to be complementary to existing pieces. Amina explained that by changing the gemstones in certain designs, such as adding an injection of juicy tanzanites, she has been able to bring to life what feels like an entirely new creation with its own personality. I think this is a testament to the power of gemstones and their individual energies, intensities and characters. However, that’s not to say that the Tales of the Nile collection will be predictable; a pair of drop-shaped earrings won’t necessarily arrive with a matching ring, while a standalone emerald brooch may never be made with a different mineral at its heart. Pieces are designed to be worn together in harmonious suites rather than as strictly matching parures. Personally, I think this encourages experimentation and self-expression, which are some of the fundamental principles of high jewellery as an art form. 

Tales of the Nile has been a welcome challenge for the Azza Fahmy team of craftspeople. “Our design team is very happy that they’re showing muscle,” Amina says. “I said the sky’s the limit; we can blend flowers with calligraphy, crescents and stars together.” One of the pieces that immediately captured my attention is the Chains of Happiness necklace, which draws inspiration from a necklace in Azza Fahmy’s personal collection in the 1980s. Five rows of chains meet in the middle to embrace a 26.18-carat oval-cut rubellite, framed by round brilliant-cut diamond crescents and calligraphy that translates to ‘happiness’. This gemstone has a seductive raspberry pinkish-red hue, which enhances the warmth of 18k yellow gold. Similarly shaded tourmalines are used in the Happiness earrings, which feature 12.8-carat octagon-cut rubellites dripping with pear-shaped diamonds. 

Speaking of rubellites, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Art Deco Calligraphy bangle and the Art Deco Calligraphy ring, which are set with 11.64 carats of emerald-cut rubellites and a 3.97-carat rubellite respectively. Delicate floral motifs, dusted with diamonds, are the surface adornment but look beyond, and you will see how the bangle’s signature twisted wirework frames calligraphy written in openwork yellow gold. The text quotes the Persian poet Shams Tabrizi: “Peace upon those who flourish every heart they touch, as if they were rain in the depths of the heart.” The Art Deco Calligraphy bangle and ring appear to be multiple pieces stacked together at first glance, which is a testament to the modernity of the design and the skill of its artisans.

Another seamless new addition to Tales of the Nile is the Garden of Light choker that combines a 17.9-carat pear-cut aquamarine with swags of Japanese Akoya pearls. Amina says that from the moment she saw this elongated sky-blue gem, she imagined a Victorian-style choker with the era’s gothic twist softened by a V-shaped diamond-set motif and filigree work (inscribed with the Arabic script for ‘blessings’). The Garden of Light earrings with pear-shaped aquamarines are the perfect accompaniment, as is the Garden of Light ring with a very subtly pear-shaped aquamarine surrounded by golden flowers and round brilliant-cut diamonds. To dig deeper into the Victorian style of the Garden of Light choker, you may be tempted by the Ottoman Star & Crescent brooch, also with pear-shaped aquamarines. From the 1860s onwards, stars and crescent moons were hugely popular motifs in jewellery, brooches and hair ornaments in Victorian society. This also coincides with the Ottoman period in Egypt (which ended in 1914) and its traditional celestial iconography. 

The Ottoman Star & Crescent story continues in another new necklace and a pair of earrings, this time with gorgeous pear-shaped tanzanites totalling 21.63 carats. The necklace itself is an alternating constellation of diamond-set crescent moons and filigree crescent moons, each topped with a shining star of diamonds and separated by a trio of bezel-set tanzanites. 

Knowing that the Tales of the Nile collection is ongoing and in a constant state of renewal and flow means we’ve always got something to look forward to from the house of Azza Fahmy. I was also told that special pieces will be shown at global events throughout the year, as well as in the brand’s stores in Egypt, London, Riyadh, Doha, and Dubai. Personally, I will be adding the Art Deco Calligraphy bangle, the Garden of Light choker and the Ottoman Star & Crescent necklace to my fantasy high jewellery collection, not only for their beauty but for the meaning and romanticism behind them.