Creative Concierge: Inside the Jewellery World of Theodore&C.

April 19, 2023

By Katerina Perez

6 min read

Dubai-based luxury jewellery marketplace Theodore & C. has transformed the concept of a personalised concierge service into a fast-growing destination for high jewels, watches and art. Founder Lena Tzortzis is channelling all she knows about bringing clients’ jewellery dreams to life into a new type of business that treats each person like a VIP. To find out more, I spoke to Lena about the origins of her company and how she curates pieces by Jacob & Co. Austy Lee, Aisha Baker and Liza Borzaya, among others, for her clientele.

I will never tire of meeting new and interesting people forging their own path in jewellery, especially when that route connects passionate collectors with talented designers. A new personality on my radar is Lena Aoun Tzortzis, the Founder of Theodore & C., which was established in 2018 and named after her two children, Theodore and Carolina. Her website is a digital marketplace, combining all the principles of a personalised, one-on-one jewellery concierge service with access to high and fine jewellery brands, after-sales services, watches and art. But to learn how this concept developed, we must go back to the beginning.

Lena Aoun Tzortzis, founder of Theodore & C.

Lena Aoun Tzortzis, founder of Theodore & C.

Lena was raised surrounded by jewellery – her father purchased pieces for her mother at every occasion, and her grandmother was equally passionate about jewels as an investment and left them to her daughters and granddaughters. “It was a source of security, but also pride and beauty,” Lena explains. “Relatives and friends bought for each other’s jewellery, for new-born babies, birthdays, graduations, and weddings. `I left my parents’ home with a coffret of sentimental jewels and started collecting my own jewellery as soon as I got my first salary. Little did I know that this profound interest would become a unique leading online marketplace to combine the two languages I am wholeheartedly passionate about – jewellery and fine art.”

Theodore & C. is a digital marketplace luxury concierge service

Theodore & C. is a digital marketplace luxury concierge service

 On the Theodore & C. website you can access sought after timepieces

On the Theodore & C. website you can access sought after timepieces

 Theodore & C. also provides access to high and fine jewellery brands

Theodore & C. also provides access to high and fine jewellery brands

After 12 years of working in the field of interior architecture, Lena’s passion for precious stones intensified. People would notice her personal jewels and ask for advice on how to reproduce her style or what shape, colours, and cuts would bring sparkle to their eyes. So she began collecting, sourcing and curating, but also working with jewellery factories and workshops to customise pieces… by 2018, this had solidified into a genuine business – Theodore & C. – which continues to develop.

Theodore & C. Jewellery Collage

Theodore & C. Jewellery Collage

Back then it all started privately with few clients, by word of mouth, and the circle grew. Clients returned for the exclusive communication, ease of contact, sincerity, and the impression I made while wearing my own jewellery. It is a very personal and tight relationship that I have built with clients to reach their expectations. – Lena Aoun Tzortzis

This is undoubtedly the foundation of her digital business, which puts all these customer service principles into action on a larger scale. Today, Theodore & C. offers a custom service and a curated collection of jewels for the “era of online shopping and e-commerce but with personalised contact and concierge assistance at the top of the list”. Lena draws on everything she knows about her customers to curate a selection of high jewellery brands, fine jewellers and watches that she knows they will love on a quarterly basis. Her criterion includes craftsmanship, quality, uniqueness, rarity, and attention to detail. On her site, you will find international jewellers like Austy Lee, Jacob&Co., and Anabela Chan, luxury watch brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille, and rising brands like ASHAHA and ARAYA. She explains: “The experience is not only for customers but also brands, who receive special attention and a marketing approach that promotes their presence within an elite community [of buyers].”

Jacob & Co. Papillon Collection Short earrings available on Theodore & C.

Jacob & Co. Papillon Collection Short earrings available on Theodore & C.

 AUSTY LEE The Fish of Rainbow Flying earrings in Abalone shell, diamond, yellow diamond and white jade

AUSTY LEE The Fish of Rainbow Flying earrings in Abalone shell, diamond, yellow diamond and white jade

 AUSTY LEE The Natsumatsuri ring in Abalone shell, diamond, ruby, pink sapphire and aquamarine

AUSTY LEE The Natsumatsuri ring in Abalone shell, diamond, ruby, pink sapphire and aquamarine

 LIZA BORZAYA Too Cool For a Tattoo necklace in gold, white gold, diamond and enamel

LIZA BORZAYA Too Cool For a Tattoo necklace in gold, white gold, diamond and enamel

 LIZA BORZAYA Bamblebee With Poppy earrings in gold, diamond and enamel

LIZA BORZAYA Bamblebee With Poppy earrings in gold, diamond and enamel

 FALAMANK Wandering Star ring in gold, malachite and diamond

FALAMANK Wandering Star ring in gold, malachite and diamond

 ASHAHA Sana Necklace choker in diamond, tourmaline, citrine, peridot and topaz

ASHAHA Sana Necklace choker in diamond, tourmaline, citrine, peridot and topaz

 ASHAHA Siwa earrings in gold, diamond, peridot and opal

ASHAHA Siwa earrings in gold, diamond, peridot and opal

 FALAMANK Angel Knight necklace in gold and diamond

FALAMANK Angel Knight necklace in gold and diamond

 A.DEITIY Irony ring in white gold, rustic and brown diamonds

A.DEITIY Irony ring in white gold, rustic and brown diamonds

 A.DEITIY Halo bracelet in silver, gold and rhodium plating

A.DEITIY Halo bracelet in silver, gold and rhodium plating

Elsewhere, Theodore & C. offers a customisation and alteration service to reset vintage jewellery, create made-to-measure pieces and even build ‘mini-me’ sets for mother and daughter. Lena also appreciates the nervousness that some clients might have about shopping for high-value items online and has sought to rectify this with the option of certificates and after-sales service. For example, she gives customers the option of diamonds with a GIA certificate and more accessible gems that are graded by laboratories in her local region.

Theodore & C. Jewellery Collage

Theodore & C. Jewellery Collage

An exciting area of the website that is under development is the Theodore & C. custom jewellery line, which Lena hopes will soon feature a digital tool for customers to visualise their design in real time. “I do not design jewellery,” Lena explains, “but I love to style jewels on the client and am fond of stones. I make sure the customer finds and get what he is dreaming of, both in terms of quality and end design.”

The Theodore & C. platform will soon feature a digital tool for customers to visualise their design in real time

The Theodore & C. platform will soon feature a digital tool for customers to visualise their design in real time

Looking to the future, Theodore & C. is hoping to define its presence on the international stage. “I have been based in Dubai for the last 14 years,” Lena notes, “but as my family is half Middle Eastern and half European, we almost have a leg in every city! I spend a lot of time in Greece, and during the pandemic, I spent three years in Germany. This has given me insights into client culture and psychology and helped build a network I continue to expand online and offline.”

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Self-Winding watch available on Theodore & C.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Self-Winding watch available on Theodore & C.

 Rolex Pearlmaster pave diamond watch available on Theodore & C.

Rolex Pearlmaster pave diamond watch available on Theodore & C.

 Richard Mille Extra Flat Automatic watch available on Theodore & C.

Richard Mille Extra Flat Automatic watch available on Theodore & C.

I do not doubt that someone as passionate about jewellery as Lena Tzortzis will enjoy even greater success in the future. Hearing her describe jewellery as her “language” is such a beautiful sentiment… I believe many readers of KaterinaPerez.com share this common tongue, no matter where they hail from.

Beyond Bridal: How ARAZI is Redefining the Eternity Ring

continue reading

Haute Couture 2025: The 70s Depths of the Piaget Shapes of Extraleganza High Jewellery Collection

Through the Piaget Society, a circle of artists, collectors and freethinkers, the Maison helped shape the cultural zeitgeist of the 1970s.

by Claire Roberts

Haute Couture Week 2025: The Gentle Flutter of Mikimoto Les Pétales High Jewellery

Let’s take a closer look at some of the aristocratic highlights of this latest Mikimoto offering…

by Sarah Jordan

Elevated Expression: Examining The Jade Dynasty Collection by Austy Lee

Austy Lee is someone we return to time and again here at KaterinaPerez.com, largely because the designer's work never fails to impress. Let's hear what he has to say on China's most emblematic mineral…

by Sarah Jordan

Haute Couture 2025: The Biggest High Jewellery Trends to Emerge from Paris 

Transformability was a recurring theme, as were bold uses of colour, sculptural silhouettes and rare gemstones with compelling stories. Here are the key trends that defined the 2025 high jewellery season.

by Joshua Hendren

Flower Power: The Uplifting Energy of Jewels in Full Bloom 

Florals have long been a favourite in fine jewellery, and they never lose their charm. This year’s Couture show in Las Vegas proved just how inventive floral jewellery can be, bursting with colour, craftsmanship, and imagination

by Hirshi Sujanti

You’ve Got the Moves: Kinetic Jewellery with Moving Elements

Sometimes, at the Couture Show, you encounter a trend that feels perfectly attuned to the times we’re living in. This year in Las Vegas, that trend was movement. Or, more precisely, moving elements that speak to that very human desire to keep our hands busy, our senses engaged, and our minds soothed.

by Claire Roberts

Verified in Vegas: The Biggest Jewellery Trends of the Couture Show 2025

The Couture Show presents a curated view of the best in craftsmanship, design, fresh ideas and originality, which is why it’s such a vital place to forecast the ‘next big thing’. Here’s what I have gleaned from this year’s State-side events

by Sarah Jordan

Instant Charm: Celebrating New Creations with Karina Choudhrie Jewels

Let's take a closer look at the latest pieces that have emerged from Karina's incredible imagination…

by Katerina Perez

Key Facts About Gold: An Ancient Symbol of Power and Luxury

In an age where digital currencies rise and fall, gold remains a universal symbol of stability, beauty, and lasting worth. It is worn on the skin, locked in vaults, and passed down through generations as a living legacy.

by Hirshi Sujanti

Little Legends: The History and Power of Pinky Rings

Pinky rings have long carried cultural weight - from Ancient Mesopotamian seals to Egyptian signets and Japanese kamon heirlooms. Today, the style is experiencing a resurgence, thanks to contemporary designers and a growing list of high-profile wearers, including Meghan Markle, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Victoria Beckham, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski

by Joshua Hendren

Forever in Bloom: The Timeless Charm of Flowers in Jewellery

Flowers may fade in a vase, but flowers in jewellery—they bloom eternally

by Hirshi Sujanti

Double Vision: The Art and Allure of Reversible Jewellery

With versatility driving today’s jewellery trends, reversible designs are enjoying a quiet resurgence. From transformable lockets to rotating rings and earrings that change with a flip, these reversible jewellery creations reflect a growing desire for multi-dimensional design.

by Joshua Hendren

Latest Stories

Add articles and images to your favourites. Just

Epic Evolution:Miseno Launches the Arco Collection to Celebrate a Fabulous Decade

I am pleased to present to you my highlights of the new Arco High Jewellery collection, which was formally showcased to the jewellery world at Couture from June 4-8, 2025

by Katerina Perez

Jewels Katerina Perez Loves

Continue Reading

In Conversation:Discussing Paraiba - The Legacy of a Color

with Vogue Singapore

by Katerina Perez

Jewellery Insights straight to your inbox

Style Guide

By using this website, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. View our Privacy Policy for more information.