Spotlight: The Egyptian Design House Dishing Out Jewellery
NAJ is whipping up jewellery good enough to eat- figuratively…and literally?
Under The Spotlight
Egyptian jewellery label NAJ, short for Nader Atef Jewelry.
The Setting
The streets of Korba, Cairo, Egypt.
The Frame
Think vibrant rubies, sparkling emeralds, and radiant sapphires, all set in luxurious gold settings. Chunky gold chains, shimmering natural diamonds, oversized earrings showcasing an array of vividly-coloured precious gemstones.
NAJ in One Sentence
“NAJ is a dance between elegance and edge,” Atef, NAJ’s founder, tells Scene Styled.
About the Brand
Playful and daring, NAJ explores themes like rebirth, transformation, and the raw beauty of nature in their collections. “We love playing with contrasts—smooth against textured, minimalist lines with intricate details,” Atef explains. “with each piece embodying a sense of adventure and luxury.”
“As for techniques, we’re all about pushing boundaries,” he adds. “We love blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. It’s about honouring the past while creating the future.”
The Age Old Question… Silver or Gold?
“We have a love affair with gold with all its colours.”
Who is NAJ for?
“The NAJ customer is someone who lives life on their own terms, appreciating the finer things in life, but also drawn to the unexpected,” the founder unveils. “They might be an artist, an entrepreneur, or a world traveller.”
Atef imagines the NAJ woman as a bold and fearless individual, whose wardrobe is a cocktail of high fashion brands, rare vintage finds from various continents, and unique, eccentric pieces that speak of their individuality. “They’re not confined by trends—they set them.”
The Designs Through Nader Atef’s Lens
“It’s like sculpting a dream into reality.” The Design Process “The design process at NAJ is like a wild journey,” Atef begins, “we start with an idea—sometimes it’s a word, other times it’s an image or a feeling.” From there on, the team sketches, experiments with materials, and lets the piece evolve organically. “If something feels unconventional, we embrace it,” he elaborates. “Each piece goes through countless iterations before it feels just right.”
The Muse
“The inspiration behind NAJ is the desire to fuse the ancient with the avant-garde, creating pieces that are as timeless as they are daring.”
Jewellery Good Enough To Eat?
For one of their very first collection shoots, NAJ produced imagery with the concept of ‘eating jewellery’.
“We wanted to do something that would make people stop scrolling and think, “Whoa, what’s that?” Atef shares. “The idea of ‘eating’ jewellery came from the notion that NAJ pieces are so irresistible, you just want to devour them.”
“We actually dressed a real lobster in multiple layers of diamond rings,” the creative director recalls the strangest photo they captured, laughing. “It was wild, unexpected, and completely NAJ.”
In the Words of Nader Atef…
“Jewellery is like a second skin—it’s how we express who we are without saying a word. For us, it’s about empowerment, about wearing something that makes you feel invincible.”
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