I spent my career inside the luxury industry, shaping how I see value.
Working in finance for some of the largest houses within LVMH has definitely shaped how I understand value. Not only through materials and craftsmanship, but through storytelling, perception and time.
I was working in fashion so jewellery remained strangely opaque to me and diamonds is what felt particularly misunderstood. They were presented as the ultimate luxury, yet rarely distinguished between the beautiful and the truly exceptional. Their journey into existence is always extraordinary, but not every diamond belongs in the same category.
I started asking questions and that is kind of what led me here. I found myself drawn into one of the oldest trades, one that resisted a lot of the modern shortcuts. It is still very oldschool and much of it still runs purely on relationships, trust and quiet gatekeeping. You need to know someone who knows someone, or earn an introduction. It remains one of the few industries where trust is still earned slowly.
Over the past years, I have attended multiple trade shows, spoke to suppliers in all biggest jewellery hubs in the world and finished my diamond education at GIA. I have tested different qualities, designs and finally found the one I am proud to share with others. I am still learning, but I understand this trade’s pace, its discretion and the importance of knowing who to trust.
Somewhere in that process, I rediscovered a creative part of myself that had been dormant during my years in finance. The scepticism remains, but it has softened. I understand that what makes something special is not always measurable, yet it is unmistakable.
Obla grew from that understanding.