NOOR FARES | N.OOR

18K Gold and Ebony Crack Cuff Bracelet
from Touche Du Bois Collection

The city of Byblos, located in Lebanon, is an area ripe with historical attractions.

They include ancient Phoenician Temples the Temple of Baalet Gebal; and the Byblos Castle and St. John the Baptist Church both built during the 12^th century.

Lebanon is also the birthplace of featured jewelry designer Noor Fares.

To me using luck symbols as the basis for a designer jewelry collection is pretty run-of-the-mill and safe.  

When placed in the hands of London-based jeweler Fares however, iconic charm symbols become a lyrical exploration of cultural and historical significance.

Wishbones, four leaf clovers and miniature Eiffel Towers need not apply!  Chinese symbols, Maltese crosses, along with sleek disc pendants and bangle bracelets made from the grounding, protective energies of ebony and jet populate Fares’ distinctive fine and fashion jewelry brand called N.oor. 

Fares’ rather intellectual approach to choosing the symbols she presents make for bijouterie that is more sophisticated than the usual charm jewelry suspects. 

Her use of jet and ebony wood in particular exude sexy elegance as their smooth, black hues are offset with 18-karat yellow gold or pink sapphires and tsavorites.  Overall her design aesthetic is a subdued yet high powered combination.

18K Rose Gold Day & Night Asymmetric Hoop Earrings

“My passion for jewelry began when I was very young.  I used to search my mother’s dresser drawers and try on all her beautiful pieces,” recalls the former journalism and public relations major.  “I began designing jewelry as a hobby and I got my designs made by a Lebanese jeweler.

I realized that I had so many ideas and loved the finished pieces so much that I decided to make the hobby my career.  

I launched N.oor in 2009 and a lot of my ideas and inspiration come from my Middle Eastern background, my travels to Europe and the United States, my studies and the little things I love,” says the Tuft University alumna.

Fares’ assortment of iconography that includes the Chinese happiness symbol cultivated into18-karat gold or 24-karat gold plated cuff bracelets or pendant necklaces are placed alongside the designer’s stunning Masterpiece Collection.  This collection encapsulates Fares’ love for Renaissance and Classical art.

“This collection is a unique set of rings, pendants and brooch pins that take the phrase 'wearable art' literally.  Each piece features a miniature replica of a work by Petrus Christus, Johannes Vermeer, and Jean Auguste Dominique.  Each replica is painstakingly hand-painted and set behind cabochon domes of quartz crystal. 

18K Rose Gold Half Moon Jet Rings
with White Diamonds & Pink Sapphires

I enjoy the challenge of creating a unique piece of jewelry.  I use a wide range of materials—18-karat gold, diamonds, sterling silver and gold-plating.  I am happy to say that I created a brand which is accessible for all.”