There are perhaps few men in his position that find it so effortless to identify with their store and their unique product. Osama Yousef Al Faleh is as much a reflection of Kallista’s fine jewelry as it is of him. A man who knows the story of every piece in his store, and every stone within each piece. It’s a remarkable story for each.
For Osama, every client he receives is as unique as each piece produced in his workshop. He searches the gem-dealers of the world looking for just the right stones. Sometimes it can take years for a matching set of stones to be collected - but these are the lengths he and Kallista go to in order to produce the very finest of haute joaillerie.
“A lady will always look for something special, something unique. This is what high jewelry is about”, insists Al Faleh. And if he hasn’t got that special piece, then he will surely make it - around 15% of his business is conducted on a bespoke made basis.
The key DNA to any piece of Kallista jewelry is undoubtedly in its finishing. As Al Faleh says “everyone can buy diamonds, and everyone can buy gold, but not everyone can find the artists who know how to put these two together to create pieces of the highest quality”.
Interesting, when he receives pieces from his workshop the first thing he inspects is the back of any piece. As with the finest woven carpets it is what is usually left unseen that can help define the skill of the craftsman and the quality of the piece.
“By looking at the back you really get a feel for the way the piece was made, it is possible to see the inside of the piece and really appreciate the time that has been spent of creating it”. Indeed, such is the level of finishing on the back of Kallista’s pieces it is true to say that this exceeds the finishing on the front of jewelry from many other houses.
The setting, and the way the craftsman has constructed that setting, will determine just how the light plays with the stone. A stone set too heavily will find itself restricted and its brilliance and will suffocate through lack of illumination. A Kallista-set stone will appear to float, indeed even to breathe.
Each piece is the sum of its parts. By selecting the finest stones and precious metals the job is, as you can see, only half done. The skill of his artists in Kallista’s Morroco-based workshop (where the group also has three further boutiques in Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech) is of enviable quality. The craftsmen typically come from families who have, for generations, crafted fine jewelry. Indeed, replacing a craftsman who leaves the business is no longer so easy - those with the skills to produce jewelry to the standards that Kallista delivers are dwindling in number. Like the precious stones they work with their latent skill is becoming rarer and rarer.
Kallista boutiques are also home to and exclusive collection from some of Europe’s fine jewelry houses, including Blu, Jean-Meriet Gillman, and Francesco Basile.
Currently located in Kuwait’s KRH Mall in the Sharq district, Kallista is due to move shortly to the uber-prestigious new Al Hamra Mall. Here it will sit alongside exalted neighbors from the world of fine and luxurious fashion, jewelry and watches.
You can discover Kallista for yourself at KRM Mall, telephone +965 2232 0111 or online at kallistagroup.com
First published in Men's Passion issue #30 April 2011
