São Paulo – The Farsi family of Saudi Arabia have been passionate about jewelry for over a century now, said 34-year-old Nasser Farsi (pictured above), who’s currently running the family’s business interests. Established 1907, Farsi is one of the oldest jewelry brands in the country. It has stayed in business throughout the years by combining classic features with the new styles that shoppers are after.
In an interview with Arab News, Nasser traced back the company’s steps. Farsi was established by Nasser’s great-grandfather Mohamed Farsi. It handles all steps of manufacturing with a distinctive local touch. Nasser is part of the fourth generation running the business – his father and grandfather also worked as jewelers.
New technologies and shifting customer demands have led the brand to adapt, and Nasser’s father’s approach which made sense during the 1970s, no longer applies. “Every business needs to adapt throughout the years,” he said
Nasser learned the ropes from family, but he also studied under some of the best gemologists in the world. He completed a master’s in Finance in the United States. “I wanted to have managerial skills to be both the jeweler and the one operating the business,” he said. In his younger days, Nasser had to pay for everything he wanted by working in the shop. Now that he’s inherited the family business, Farsi wants to make his mark.
Pearls were the mainstay of the brand early on, Arab News reported. Eventually, diamonds were added and finer metalworking came into play, allowing for the lighter, more delicate designs favored by customers these days. Heavier gold items seem to be going out of style.
In spite of shifting consumer tastes and techniques, Nasser strives to retain the spirit and the essence of traditional Arab design. In 2015, he launched his own Nasser Farsi collection, primarily targeting men. “It started as a hobby,” he said.
“I turned Arabic calligraphy into jewelry pieces. I have some iconic designs that people can recognize, mainly men’s bracelets. I started designing for women as well, but being a man I wanted something that I could use and I found this gap in the market.” He is concerned with putting out timeless items: We care about the quality of the stones and the value of the piece, rather than push a simple design that may be worthless in a few years.”
Nasser embraced old and new, keeping the classics alive as he explores the creative possibilities that change has enabled. The marketplace is fierce, with scores of new designers and product lines coming into play, but being an old, reliable brand is a plus.
Lockdown measures wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have forced stores shut across the country, and wedding celebrations have been cancelled. That takes a toll on jewelry sales, and the company had to adapt. “It’s still not stable, but we are prepared for the worst and working for the best. I do hope I will pass this onto my children.”
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
