ARTIST'S SPOTLIGHT - clara chehab
- eliane de luca peres
- Jun 8
- 4 min read
Clara and I first connected last July through Valery Demure (Objet d’Emotion), and I featured her gorgeous rings in a special "Rings on Hands" story I created. We finally met in person that September at Goldrush, where I not only had the chance to try on several of her beautiful pieces but also to enjoy a lovely conversation with her. We talked about jewelry, our shared love of rings, motherhood—she was pregnant at the time with baby Luca—the chaotic world we live in, and life in Beirut, among other things. It was such a delightful connection, and I’m so glad we’ve stayed in touch. Today, it’s a real joy to share her story, along with some of her stunning new rings, as well as
a couple of my favorites!
How I started
As a young girl, I always dreamed of working with jewelry. This passion was fueled by childhood memories of visiting a series of goldsmiths with my paternal grandmother and us viewing their latest creations together. From her, I would always receive a ring or necklace for special occasions and birthdays. She would sit down and discuss ideas with jewelers using it as part of a conversation to make something bespoke, special and unique to her. I remember, she had a Toi et Moi ring that was transformed into earrings, combining rose-cut diamonds with pink sapphires. I always thought of her whenever I wore those earrings. She lived a long life and died when she was 104. Compared to this older generation who preferred diamonds, my mother was edgy, creative and experimental with her love of pink tourmaline, peridot and amethyst.
It is these traditions that have helped develop a deep appreciation and love for aesthetic and beautiful pieces that evoke memories, reinforce familial bonds and deepen emotions.I returned to live in Beirut after leaving the corporate world of banking in London. For me, London, where I worked for a decade, was a very special place. It is international, a melting pot, unlike anywhere else in the UK. But Beirut offered the mountains, nature and a mild climate – you can go to the beach in late October and smell the jasmine in the winter. There’s also culture, such as the MIM Museum (https://www.mim.museum) a private collection of fine minerals in giant, rough prismatic shapes, which is well worth a visit.
Anyway, arriving home in Beirut, I could no longer ignore my passion for jewelry and my desire to create, so I took the leap and followed my passion.
Motherhood and Family
It was when I became a mother that I created my first collection Gaia, exploring the fruits of Mother Earth. I was inspired by what Mother Earth gives us and was driven to convey this without altering it. I now have three children—two boys with a girl sandwiched in between. I named my second collection after my daughter Sienna. My latest collection, Irene, coincided with the loss of my mother, someone who was always there for me, as well as the joyous moment of becoming pregnant with my third child. My jewelry has evolved as it reflects my life, loves and passions. Influenced by emotions, symbols, inspirations, connections and colors rise to the surface and resonate in my creations.
Favorite Gemstones
I find asymmetrical and imperfect gemstones so beautiful to work with. It’s what helps to make each piece so unique. The whole identity of Clara Chehab Fine jewelry revolves around Mother Earth and I focus on this by keeping the stones as close as possible to their original form.
Inspiration
I love travelling and Italy is a big inspiration for me. The country shares many similarities with Lebanon including dramatic landscapes. After all they both sit on the shores of the Mediterranean. I also love Iceland, a place I visited in 2010, because of its rough terrain. Art is important to me. I love the work of the Catalan artist Joan Miró and I’ve seen exhibitions of his work in Paris and London. I find the graphics and vibrant color appealing. For me, creating is a way of expressing my feelings and being inspired by others also helps.
My Philosophy on life
My pieces reflect the sentiment of living life and loving fully and capture the vivacity of my character when I feel inspired and alive. You will find a lot of color — shades of pink and green imperial topaz, blue sapphire and watermelon tourmaline - in my work. Each piece of jewelry is a reflection of feelings and emotions. I consider it a journey of self-introspection.
What I would like to create:
Pieces that combine rough aquamarine with garnet.
As a designer, I express my emotions through creating jewelry. My goal is for women to feel connected to the raw energy of the stones and be empowered every time they wear one of my pieces. As a brand, I like to create timeless pieces that will be handed down through the generations.
The fact that I use strong stones at their rough stage and combine them with soft design echoes the two contrasting elements of femininity.
I describe my jewelry as bold, sensual and feminine, strong yet subtle, and it’s by combining rough stones with cut stones and fine designs that I can achieve this.
