Founded in Valenza in 1924, the Damiani Group is a luxury Italian jewellery brand known worldwide for its fine creations. In November 2023, the company exhibited at the prestigious Jewellery Arabia exhibition for the first time. Kristian Harrison caught up with Damiani Group President, Guido Damiani, to discuss the reasons behind the brand’s success and its plans for expansion in Bahrain.
Alongside his siblings Giorgio and Silvia, Guido Damiani has overseen incredible success in recent years as Italy’s only family-owned jewellery company continues to reach new heights whilst furthering the legacy that their grandfather, Enrico, started almost a century ago. Now, the Damiani Group is looking to add to its portfolio of more than 60 boutiques worldwide by moving into Bahrain and the Kingdom’s residents who visited Jewellery Arabia got a closer look at some of the exquisite pieces which will be available at Bahrain Jewellery Centre who is their local partner in the Kingdom.
“This is one of the most important jewellery events worldwide,” Guide said. “We came not only for the exhibition itself, but also because we are under a plan of expansion in all the countries of the Gulf area so this is the perfect place to promote our brand. More specifically, in Bahrain we are looking to open a couple of stores, likely in Moda Mall and Marassi Mall, within the next six months. This follows the opening of our boutique in Dubai Mall and a second location there which we will reveal soon. Furthermore, we have already signed a lease contract for Kuwait, Doha and Riyadh.”
The jewellery business has been in Guido’s blood almost since birth, and it was inevitable that one day he would lead the company into the future. Growing up in Valenza, his family apartment was in the same building as the offices and factory of Damiani, with even holidays spent buying gems. As he puts it: “I literally grew up in the middle of gold and diamonds.”
These days, he runs the company largely from his adopted home of Dubai. “As the President, from one point of view I do nothing and from the other, I do everything,” he explains. “I decide and implement the strategy and direct my managers, who refer to me with questions if they need to. Aside from that, I’m always in meetings whether online or personally and of course, I travel back to Europe frequently too.”
The jewellery industry is a competitive one, but the fact that it is still family-owned makes Damiani rise above its rivals, according to Guido. “The fact that we are the third generation of the family to run the company means that the consumer can feel the difference,” he believes. “It’s not only a business or a question of money, but it’s a statement of passion and a dream to realise something passed down through the generations and to leave to the one following us.”
2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of Damiani’s founding, and Guido revealed that some big surprises are on the way next year with a special collection, unique pieces and an exhibition travelling the world. There will also be more collaborations with celebrities, who unlike with other brands, are customers who are friends or originally sought the company out to purchase from their collections.
“Our celebrity collaborations are not people we just pay to wear our stuff,” Guido explains. “They have to care about the brand. For example, many years ago, we launched a collection with Brad Pitt. However, before this he was a customer who walked into our store.
“Still to this day, Sophia Loren will call my brother Giorgio and send him a picture of her clothes and ask him to suggest a piece which will match the outfit! So we truly choose who we work with very carefully and make sure they love our brand as much as we love working with them.”
