Fawaz Gruosi: A Visionary at Heart

Fawaz Gruosi’s creations radiate such a magical charm that it’s hard not to fantasize about slipping on his luxurious pieces. Apple-shaped earrings gleam a rich red, while oval leaves are enhanced with precious emeralds; sparkling diamonds jut out from elegant gold drop earrings; and modern rings captivate with their spiralling lines.

And as for the ultimate castle in the sky: easily operated complications integrated with sheer beauty define the high-end watches that de GRISOGONO is most famous for.

“I’m in love with all kinds of stones because they will last forever. It’s not that they cost money or that they are rare – it’s the tone of colour that they have that when I look at them, they give me joy,” says Gruosi, 56.

There’s an utter richness and sexiness to Gruosi’s work; every design sensually curves and flows into a memorizing fashion, adding light and energy to a woman or man’s aura. An oriental sumptuousness spills into a contemporary or classic style in brown gold; awe-inspiring collectibles infused with milky-coloured diamonds and pink gold exude an opulent baroque technique, all while the Beirut-born artist proves that pushing traditional jewellery styling to the limit is his strong suit.

After spending his childhood in Florence, Italy with his Italian mother, Gruosi moved to London, England to pursue a career in the jewellery industry. He quickly landed a prestigious position at Harry Winston, where he managed the American jeweller’s creations in Saudi Arabia for three years.

During this time, the Harry Winston brand was booming as much as Saudi Arabia’s oil supply.

An interlude at Bulgari Precious Trading gave him the opportunity to travel, and he became the first representative to sell the highly anticipated Bulgari jewellery collections across the globe. Then one day in 1993, Gruosi decided that it was time for him to make a name for himself. “I wanted to be free; I wanted to do what I wanted to do,” says Gruosi, who had first dipped his feet in the jewellery industry as an assistant to a Florentine jeweller at the mere age of 18.

To Geneva he went, where he opened the first de Grisogono store with two other partners. With the self-effacing plan of having a simple, quiet store, Gruosi was astonished when his creations shot to international acclaim.

His wild imagination capitulated him to fame with his successful 1996 Black Diamond collection. Everyone loved the idea of wearing a timepiece that reflected the other side of a diamond’s beauty: dark and mysterious.

To this day, the 2000 debut of his first watch, Instrumento N°Uno, is still his bestseller.

With his passion to research new materials to fit his unimaginable visions, Gruosi has mastered his ability to revamp the art of melding precious stones and gold together.

“When I first started, I had two associates. I had all these strange ideas. I wanted to create jewellery, to produce it. But the associates left me after six months because they thought I was a bit crazy – they were scared of my craziness. I think they regret it now,” he reflects.

Fast forward a decade, and today he is leading one of the world’s most luxurious brands.

Beautiful women across the world are in absolute adoration of him. Celebrities clasp his magical necklaces around their necks; bracelets and timepieces around their wrists; and earrings on their ears just before they sashay across the red carpet. When de GRISOGONO sponsored the Hollywood Domino Tournament in California to support the Art of Elysium organization earlier this year, lauded actresses such as Demi Moore and Charlize Theron sparkled with his sophisticated creations. In Sex and the City, the character Miranda played by Cynthia Nixon wears a stunning pair of de GRISOGONO earrings, during a riveting scene in the popular movie.

And with countless de GRISOGONO boutiques found across the world, which will soon include cosmopolitan Dubai, historical Athens, and the lavish French Alps – de GRISOGONO’s reach is limitless. This is a great pleasure and recurring surprise to Gruosi.

“I never thought I could be a creator. I never thought I could have all these shops, and most of all, I never thought my brand would become one of the hottest in the business. If someone told me my life would be like this 15 years ago, I would have laughed,” he says.

The inspiration behind each piece Gruosi envisions is as simple as his outlook on life. “I’ve always been inspired by whatever I have around me – it can be a lamp, it can be an ashtray … each time I have an idea I just have to put it on paper. Then I make some changes, and sometimes I don’t.”

www.degrisogono.com