Today we’d like to introduce you to Antoine Dib
Antoine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hello. I am Antoine. I am 47 years old. I was born and raised in Lebanon into a family of jewelers. Growing up, I had 2 passions in life: Gems and ancient History.
After finishing a master’s degree in Art and Archeology, I took over my family jewelry business. As years went by, I amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience about the jewelry industry, and the fascinating world of gems.
One question though the majority of my customers often asked me: why don’t you wear any piece of jewelry yourself? To be honest, It was never easy to answer this question because I couldn’t find a satisfying answer myself. Then out of a sudden it dawn on me: even though we have beautiful pieces at the store, none of them spoke to my heart. I wanted a piece that tells a story, that reflects my personality and the personality of the artist who created it. I wanted a piece that has a soul. Only handmade jewelry could provide that.
At that moment, things become clear to me. I knew what I had to do. It was the time where I had the opportunity to combine what I learned in archeology class about how jewelry was made in ancient time with my philosophy on how jewelry should be designed and manufactured. In a world where mass production and uniformity often dominate, the desire for individuality has never felt stronger. I wanted to break the status quo and challenge the traditional way of looking at jewelry. I wanted to embrace the magical aspects of things that are not perfect or flawless. I adopted the concept of the perfectly imperfect as vision not just to jewelry but also to how I interact with the world around. As a matter of fact, it is not our perfection as humans but our oddity, faults, flaws and blemishes that make us the interesting and unique people we are. That applies to jewelry as well.
So I set up a workshop and started to design, manufacture and transform my vision into tangible pieces of jewelry.
In 2019 Lebanon grappled with a economic crash resulting in widespread demonstrations, currency devaluation and poverty. Banks froze savers accounts and denied people their rights to retrieve their money, let alone their life savings. I was one of many who found himself robbed and helpless in front of a corrupted system and a greedy bank cartel.
Those were extremely hard times. But the final blow came with Beirut port explosion in 2020, the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. This catastrophe was the needle that broke the camel’s back. There was no hope left.
So In 2021, I came to the US. I got a degree in Gemology from the reputable GIA (Gemological institute of America). Then, I worked at Tiffany’s and Co for a while before I quite and started my own business in the hope of bringing my vision, story and philosophy to my community here in San Diego and to the whole world
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth ride for sure. Being away from my family, my friends and out of my comfort zone are the biggest challenges a person can ever face. I had to adapt to a new culture and a new working environment. It is kind of a daily struggle to dig deep and believe that dreams could be achieved.
Another challenge is reaching an audience that appreciates and understands the story and philosophy behind my work. I am determined to forge my way in a market where people have been conditioned to desire and admire the mass produced items big names and brands exhibit and display.
It is time for new ideas, time to look beyond what is conventional in the fine jewelry realm!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The thing I am most proud of is not being afraid to swim against the tide. I don’t have to follow just because everyone else is doing it a certain way.
In an evolving industry where new technologies and computer aided 3D softwares dominate every aspect of the production process, I looked for authenticity and revived old jewelry making techniques lost for ages.
For me, every piece of jewelry is a piece of art. I start with lifeless scrap metal and as I build the piece I give it a soul. I bring life to metal.
My pieces reflects my personality and have a character on their own. Sometimes I leave tools marks on my pieces as a reminder of the journey that the piece took to come to life.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One final thought worth mentioning is that I am committed to eco friendly and sustainable materials and production methods. Therefore I encourage people to sell us their unwanted jewelry so that we could recycle or repurpose it, instead of using newly mined materials.
We buy jewelry, do all kinds of repairs and appraisals.
Pricing:
- * I work within my customers budget: starting $100.
- * Repair shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg: $10 for a simple chain solder
- *For appraisals: $75
- * I pay top dollars for unwanted jewelry customers want to get rid of.
Contact Info:
- Phone number: 657 282 8898
- Email: antoinefinejewelry@gmail.com
- Instagram: @antoinefinejewelry
