Prophecy and Poetry: The Story Behind My Bespoke Pendant by El’eeté Jewellery

Sometimes universal forces align to put the right person in your path at the perfect time. That was absolutely the case when one of my Instagram followers, Elvira Iurova, the Founder of El’eeté Jewellery, contacted me to introduce her unique bespoke jewellery concept. She offered to go on an emotional and spiritual journey to discern the jewel that my soul was crying out for. It is safe to say that I was intrigued by the proposal! What followed was an incredible project, blending Elvira’s deep intuition with the art of jewellery to create a talisman that’s not just beautiful, but meaningful and powerful at once. Let me tell you more about this odyssey into a metaphysical realm…

I have always believed strongly that jewellery and gemstones have energies that we can tap into. They aren’t just colourful adornments; they are symbols of our soul and our beliefs, and they morph into powerful talismans that can help us navigate difficult times and remember the good. Elvira Iurova of El’eeté Jewellery first contacted me with the idea of creating a jewellery portrait, guided not by the jewellery currently in my collection, but the inner workings of my spiritual being. She told me of her approach, which includes assessing a person’s energy and frequencies and entering a kind of meditative state that allows her to see what jewel a person is most in need of. I found the whole idea fascinating, and so a project was born.

When we met in person, I had the opportunity to explore Elvira’s philosophy and the thought process in more detail. Although she is focused on bespoke jewellery, El’eeté Jewellery does have a ready-to-wear range, titled Collection №1, incorporating diamond-set talons of precious metals combined with pearls to evoke the primordial power of womanhood. This theme of ancient, unexplainable power carries through into her bespoke work, which begins with a meditative session to discover “an intuitive image – a coded message – that emerges from the very essence of a person”. This results in a gouache portrait of a jewel, the one a person really needs, desires, or deserves, regardless of whether that person ever imagined such a piece in their private collection. Rarely does a client reject the proposed piece, mostly because they feel an intuitive pull toward whatever Elvira has discovered in her mind’s eye.

I know that was my experience when I first saw the piece she had envisioned for me: an oval-shaped sapphire pendant with a pair of diamond-set wings, topped with a diamond crown. During her ‘design’ process, Elvira saw a mythical bird – the Hamayun bird of Prophecy - that symbolised the notion of spreading my wings, flying higher and achieving the next level of fulfilment. She found its source in Persian and Turkish mythology, as well as in the Gamayun bird of Russian folklore. She was also inspired to write a beautiful poem for me, which really helped to articulate the deeper meaning behind the creation. Much about it resonated with me, and I felt like she had understood something deeper about what I am striving to achieve, both in life and work.

I was also intrigued by the inclusion of a sapphire, as opposed to any other coloured gemstone. It was not my first choice, but blue corundum is said to restore balance and alignment in the body, promote calmness and peace of mind, and stimulate concentration, brightness and joy. It is also known as the ‘stone of prosperity’ and is said to help its wearer fulfil their dreams and desires. She prepared a beautiful document for me, outlining the things she had felt and witnessed in her dream-like state, including the importance of expansion, developing new opportunities, and interacting with the world in new ways. All this sentiment is now captured in 18k white gold, brilliant-cut diamonds and, of course, a sensational sapphire that I selected personally.

As soon as I saw the gouache drawing, I knew that a sapphire was just perfect, and I wanted to choose one of high quality. Ultimately, this necklace was meant to take me to the next level, and for me, this also included the next level of investment. We reviewed a few options, each one beautiful, but there was one that stood out – a Burmese sapphire. Those of you who are familiar with selecting stones will understand me best when I say the colour was nuanced, neither too deep nor too bright, with a subtle haziness that adds a layer of mystery. It has the kind of blue you want to dive into – an inviting, softer hue that maintains all the intense qualities that I love about sapphire. I knew straight away that this stone had to be mine, without compromise! As always, the next step was to make the jewel in the Swiss workshop that Elvira trusts – starting from the wax model and finishing with a precious jewel that one would cherish till the end of time. This is the power of bespoke jewellery made just for you.

So, you can understand why I was so excited about the last phase of this process - receiving my finished creation. We wanted to make it unforgettable and agreed that I would first set eyes on my pendant at a special ‘What’s Brought To Life?’ exhibition in Dubai. In February 2025, it was hosted by Elvira and her friend, portrait photographer Natalya Urmanova, at ME Dubai - a beautiful hotel designed by the late Zaha Hadid.

Seeing the pendant inside a glass cabinet - the protagonist of the jewels on display - was an intense experience. I don’t really know if it is right, but it felt like setting your eyes on your life soulmate for the first time and feeling an instant connection. Of course, I must complement the beautiful work that El’eeté Jewellery’s Swiss atelier did on the pendant, including the voluminous and three-dimensional diamond-set wings and the details on the reverse side. These are the kinds of finishing touches that elevate a creation and transform it into a piece of art, rather than a commercial product to be bought and sold. Similarly, Elvira went further than I expected with the bespoke clasp of the necklace, adding a pair of wings for a delicate finishing touch. However, it was not about the beauty of the jewel that meant so much to me, but rather its profound meaning and the secret feature. That’s how amulets work – they are crafted especially for you to enhance a certain element of your life. If anyone else puts one on, it will remain a pretty combination of metal and gems, a precious accessory, nothing more.

‘What if we imagine that the human soul is a divine masterpiece that possesses all the knowledge and qualities it needs, but at birth, it is handed to us as a blank canvas, giving us the joy of painting our very own unique portrait?’, asks Elvira at the end of our meeting. She undoubtedly has this rare gift of being able to see such portraits and translate them into wearable art for her clients.

Now that some months have passed, I am better able to reflect on this bespoke experience and share my impressions with you. I believe that Elvria has a unique approach to creativity that blends powerful intuition and energy reading with a passion for individuality and people in general. The pendant I now own isn’t something I would have designed for myself, and yet it seems to summarise my life, my needs and my hopes for the future. If that’s not a good reason for adornment, I don’t know what is!