As the luxury jeweller Lily Gabriella heads into her next decade, the London-based designer and business founder muses on the enduring power of alliances.
Set in a discreet penthouse space in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade—accessed through an if-you-know-you-know door on the main shopping arcade—is the appointment-only showroom of the eponymous jeweller Lily Gabriella. The Brazilian-born, London-based designer has occupied the space for three years, but recently marked 10 years since founding her brand. Like many jewellers, Gabriella cut her teeth by showing her creations privately, armed with her small jewellery case and holding meetings in Mayfair’s top hotels—what she calls the “trifecta” of Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley. And though she hailed from a privileged background—growing up for some time in Monaco—that’s where comparisons with peers end.
The granddaughter of Lily Safra, one of the greatest collectors of the modern age, Gabriella was introduced to the worlds of art, fashion and jewellery at a young age and even trained as a sculptor before studying fine art in the US. She was mentored by the legendary jeweller Joel A Rosenthal (the designer behind the JAR label), and later worked in Paris, where she honed her craft and taste for dynamic silhouettes and the bold use of colour.
Her work soon caught the attention of auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, the latter collaborating with Gabriella on a capsule collection in 2019. “That’s when things really took off,” she recalls. “We started getting requests from people that we didn’t know and most of the pieces sold immediately.” Fans were drawn to her merging of contemporary art and architecture—Anish Kapoor, Barbara Hepworth and Santiago Calatrava are among her favourites—and an imaginative use of colour (case in point: a standout gadrooned Solar Cuff bracelet, set with a whopping 21.5 ct oval cut diamond, that sold at Sotheby’s).
Setting down roots in a physical showroom, and one just hard enough to find, seemed the natural next step. “People like visiting a space that’s not that accessible, where it’s exclusive and you have to book to come in,” says Gabriella. “Sometimes it can be annoying, but I think the experience is worth it.” Clients are known to stay for hours on end—the extra-high ceilings, flood of natural light and calming blush-pink interiors help— something that Gabriella delights in. “More brands are veering towards experiences and exclusive showrooms,” she says. “Clients want to feel valued and I think that’s the biggest luxury: time. I’ve had clients go to the bigger brands on Bond Street, some who didn’t enjoy the experience, and a friend then recommended me.”
Gabriella believes that initially making her mark was the biggest career challenge, especially in a world that was understandably sceptical. “I got into the business having a bit of a stepping stone thanks to my family,” she admits. “But I’ve tried my best to not use that as a wildcard The last 10 years was about solidifying relationships and proving that I can do this as a proper business and not a hobby.”
Today, clients increasingly come to Gabriella for deeply personal, one-of-a-kind pieces—all made in London, often at Hatton Garden, the city’s famed jewellery quarter—whether new or repurposed from existing gems. Consider an incredible ring she imagined for an Irish wedding, where Art Deco styling met traditional Irish castle architecture; a deep-green, shield-shaped tourmaline embraced by a sculpted bezel of sapphires and diamonds. Or the single earring she conjured from a client’s existing set of diamonds, which encircles a pink diamond into an asymmetrical silhouette for instant coolness and wearability.
In the end, Gabriella credits her success to alliances, which she has carefully honed in all aspects of her business. “And for the next 10 years, it will be about keeping those —and hopefully having new ones,” she says.
