Brother and sister Mohammed and Basma AlMudaifa are leading the business their great-grandfather initiated into an exciting new phase. The late merchant Hassan AlMudaifa was famed for his keen eye for quality- Louis Francois Cartier bought pearls from him when in Bahrain. He, and later his son Mohammed, expanded the business from pearls to include jewellery, watches and luxury goods and created AlMudaifa Jewellery.
In 1971, Hasan’s grandson Taqi set up the family’s first store on Sh. Abdulla Road and added Taqi’s Jewellery to the family’s list of companies. Mohammed and Basma now operate Taqi’s Jewelry and have taken a hands-on approach to the craft, literally, with Basma designing pieces that Mohammed creates by hand.
“For the jewellery, it is more creative. I do it all myself…I’d cast, polish and set the stones myself.
Educated and trained in jewellery making and design, the siblings set up their manufacturing factory three years ago creating bespoke pieces for their expanding list of clients. Basma meets with clients and artfully incarnates their ideas into detailed, meticulously drawn sketches. Her expertise even extends to clocks and other objets d’art.
Mohammed makes the sketches come to life. “For the objects, it’s more machines, but for the jewellery, it is more creative. I do it all myself,” he explains, “I’d cast, polish and set the stones myself. From start to finish, I do everything. It is what I have learnt a
nd what I have taught myself as well, since there was a lot I learnt during my education about jewelry in the United States, but there is a lot you learn on the job as well.”
For the future of Taqi Jewellers, the silbings indicate they would like it to head towards fully customizable jewellery: “We want the customers to get exactly what they want in a timely manner and at a very good price without compromising on quality.” In addition, they have remarked on a very real gap in the engagement ring market and aim to produce a line that satisfies the need for innovative ring design.
Though they love to play with trends, they refuse to allow it to limit creativity and aim to add an element of daring to their work which “makes the creation process all the more fulfilling”.
The duo’s talent is unmistakable and has garnered Taqi Jewellers international praise as designers abroad approach them for their work. Mohammed describes the process of creating jewellery as therapeutic, as he dives into the flow of work and finds himself deep in “the zone”.
Basma’s style is elegant, yet clean-cut and bold. She has noticed that jewelry trends oscillate between traditional and modern, and though they love to play with trends, they refuse to allow it to limit creativity and aim to add an element of daring to their work which “makes the creation process all the more fulfilling”.