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Capturing the sun: Pascal Mouawad talks leading the high jewellery brand into a new legacy
By Michelle Johnson | 9 September 2025 | Design, Style
As high jewellery brand Mouawad releases another chapter of its exquisite Sun on Seven Wonders of the World collection, brand co-guardian Pascal Mouawad reveals all about leading the family business into a new legacy
The sun is a symbol of light, purity and brilliance – and so are diamonds, says Pascal Mouawad, co-guardian of renowned fine diamond jewellery maison Mouawad. We are meeting in the brand’s new London home on Grosvenor Place Belgravia, where Chapter II of the extraordinary Sun on Seven Wonders of the World high jewellery collection is displayed alongside Guinness World Record-holding masterpieces, and new fine jewellery collections – including the delicate Wings of Wonder novelties.
In a private viewing room, richly aromatic Turkish coffee in hand, we examine the unique pieces – Chapter I is dedicated to Machu Picchu, Peru and The Colosseum, Rome; Chapter II pays homage to Petra in Jordan, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, and Chichen Itza, Mexico; while Chapter III (released this year) is set to honour The Great Wall of China and India’s Taj Mahal.
Each unique masterpiece, from earrings to necklaces, bangles to rings, takes its inspiration from the architecture of these great world structures and is built around phenomenal yellow diamonds, collected and perfected by the brand.
“The sun – represented by the yellow diamonds – is really what ties this collection together,” explains Pascal. “Then we’re taking different elements and motifs from architecture, from a story, and replicating this in each piece. They’re all masterpieces.
“In the Petra collection, you can see graduated colours of yellow diamonds, reminiscent of the contrast of colour and shadows in by the cliffs of Petra. In the Colosseum pieces, you can see the Roman arches around the central diamond in both the sautoir and bangle. Similarly, the stonework of Machu Picchu, and the geometric cross of Christ the Redeemer. For Chichen Itza, we took the steps of the pyramids as well as referencing the Maya serpent god, Kukulkan.
With individual pieces priced from USD 900k (£676k) to USD 4.3m (£3.2m), the collection began with Mouawad’s library of exceptional gemstones – with diamonds of up to 50-carats creating the play of natural light upon the seven wonders of the word.
“These yellow diamonds are wonders of the world in themselves,” says Pascal. “They are important stones representing the journey of the sun on all seven wonders, and symbolising the connection between time, beauty and nature. Every piece of jewellery has a story behind it, bringing it to life like the sun creates life for us.”
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HEAVENLY JOURNEY
For Pascal, any piece of high jewellery always begins with the stones – an area where Mouawad has made its name throughout its 135-year history.
“If you want to create high jewellery, you need to have a love for acquiring these stones” he says. “As a matter of fact, we have the largest yellow diamond in the world – the ‘Vision Impossible Made Possible’ diamond, which was bought as a 140-carat rough. and we were able to cut it into a beautiful round diamond.”
Once the brand has sourced, cut and polished the stones, it is only then that the process of design and creation begins – whether they become part of a collection or a one-off piece.
“They definitely speak to us, for sure,” says Pascal. “There’s a lot of fun, joy and passion that goes into the process. We’re very passionate about gemstones. It’s a legacy that spans over numerous generations.”
Mouawad was founded in 1890 by Lebanese jeweller David Mouawad who – after more than two decades in New York and Mexico learning the craft of watchmaker, goldsmith and jeweller – opened his first workshop in Beirut making fine clocks and bespoke jewellery pieces. His son, Fayez, was a champion of fine jewellery watches, and expanded his father’s business into Saudi Arabia and beyond thanks to his strong network of wealthy clientele. 
The third generation, led by Robert Mouawad, carried the family legacy to Europe, Asia and North America. In the 1970s Robert established a headquarters in Geneva, acquired some of the world’s largest diamonds and redefined the brand’s reputation as specialist high jewellers.
“My father, Robert, is known as a collector of very important diamonds and acquired some magnificent stones that are still in the history books. The Taylor-Burton, for instance,” says Pascal. “Collecting these beautiful gems, those museum pieces, is something that we very much enjoy doing. They’re sold to royalties and to collectors alike.”
In 2010, the company reins were handed to the fourth generation: Robert’s sons Fred, Alain and Pascal. Their vision would further the brand’s reputation for crafting the extraordinary. As for the future, the fifth generation of co-guardians is already bringing fresh ideas to secure Mouawad’s legacy – Anastasia (daughter of Alain) and Jimmy (son of Fred), founder of the philanthropic Mouawad Diamond Impact Fund.
“Today, everyone’s looking for storytelling and iconic designs,” he says. “There’s also the phenomenon of responsible diamond and ethical sourcing which is more important than ever – so we provide certification for that. And, for us, the quality of the craftsmanship is also really important, as well as the service you provide to your clients.
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CHANGING TIMES
Pascal believes the key to a strong legacy is to change with the times. “Any business needs to adapt to the market,” he explains.
“During my father’s era, we were a multi-brand business when it came to watches – we represented Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Piaget, Chopard. When my brothers and I took over, we decided to move away from a multi-brand environment. We decided to give our boutiques a new look and identity, and vertically integrate as much as possible. We introduced our own watches, opened new diamond-cutting facilities, continued the legacy of Guinness World Records… Now, we feel it’s time for the company to transform again. So, London is our first flagship boutique that has the new look and feel, inspired by our Mediterranean roots.”
The brand’s return to London – its first UK store since the early-2000s – is a key part of Pascal’s strategy, as the city is home to local high-end clientele as well as visitors worldwide. Pascal notes that a key trend in recent years is the move away from high jewellery to fine jewellery, which is becoming increasingly popular. In response, Mouawad introduced new collections including Wings of Wonder, with its recognisable butterfly motif, and added new gem-focused novelties to the Flower of Eternity collection.
“We want to always push the boundaries and create innovative high-quality designs,” he says. “And we’re family-run, so providing a bespoke service to customers is also really important – making them feel they’re walking into a family environment and really taking care of them.”
This is especially demonstrable in Mouawad’s bespoke commissions: “Because we’re vertically integrated, we’re very agile and very fast. That’s why we’ve been very successful with royal commissions – because they don’t like to wait.”
As for his plans for the future, Pascal takes inspiration from previous generations. “We want to continue the legacy that was started by our predecessors,” he says. “Our goal is to continue to build key stores in cities throughout the world and grow the business slowly to continue to provide extraordinary craftsmanship and innovative designs. My ambition and my wish is to see this legacy continue for many more generations to come”