Othman Sidqui: Maintaining The Jewel Dynasty
Sidqui is one of the few jewelers who has been able to carve a niche for himself in the competitive Jewelry industry. In just a few years after graduating from the University of Nantes and choosing to follow his family tradition, he is certain that he’s an established force in the artistry industry.
According to him, he went back to school to expand his knowledge and become a much better jeweler. The jeweler who comes from a generation of jewelers in Morocco has ensured that his works carry on the legacy of his family. This is noticeable in his keen interest in details, he has a hands-on approach to every job that he takes on. He is the product of the traditional workshops of the historical city of Essaouira where Muslims and Jews wrote their radiant biography together, to the sophisticated workshops of Casablanca.
Inspired by his father, El Habib Sidqui launched his first jewelry line in 2008, called “Pierres Mano by Othman Sidque”. Just after rounding up yet another training in France and Switzerland, precisely in the 3D design jewelry sector. His extensive training refined what he learnt from his father’s workshop.
In his own words; "My brand was then oriented towards the top of the range, in order to reach a powerful clientele that was not too influenced by the crisis. Since then, most of our collections have been made of gold and precious stones."
Why did you choose this profession?
The envy was hereditary ahah... I couldn't leave the place I opened my eyes and grew up; as I already mentioned, I come from a large family of jewelers. I felt the inclination and, as I was passionate from a very young age to succeed in the next generation, which happened, and pushed me to develop a deep love for this noble profession of artist. I feel very fortunate to have been able to turn my main passion into the profession for my future; I think it's not given to everyone, thank God.
What can you tell us about your jewelry collection? And what are your strengths as a jeweler?
All my collections are based on harmony; the world of jewelry requires a very careful eye on the quality of manufacture and the arrangement of the different components of each piece. As far as I am concerned, I have always made sure that my creations reflect the perfect marriage between stone and frame, so that at the end of the rendering, the beauty of the work is perfectly represented by this important union which can change everything in the appearance of a beautiful jewel. I think that this has been one of my main strengths during my years in this world. What makes your brand reputable?
We’re different, which is a crucial factor in the reputation of a line. It was one of the pillars when I launched. To have a refined and different taste is to attract a curious clientele looking for something new in terms of creativity, through a very good finish, and durability of the fascination of the jewel sold! Today's customers are very demanding. It is absolutely necessary to have a very good sense of detail, in order to satisfy this demand for an attraction at the highest level.
Which do you prefer? The workshop or the store?
Trick question lol. Since one complements the other, I'll say both. Before I went to the store and launched my creative line, my childhood was divided between workshop and school. I grew up with that in my soul; when we talk about the workshop, we talk about the manufacture of jewelry from A to Z, all the stages and states of design of a piece, it's a pleasure different from that of the shop windows. The showroom is another state of mind. The one to exhibit, communicate, savor sales and seeing your little jewels being worn by the customers. I am totally satisfied to be able to share these two activities in the same field and, apart from the fact that it is a pleasure, it's an advantage!
Who are your customers? And, how can you qualify your customers?
To be precise, it is a clientele in search of a very refined jewel, which seeks to combine attractiveness and simplicity in the same piece. It is not so easy to satisfy such tastes; the demands are very high and this makes our task more difficult. For us, we are also after refined jewelry; it obliges us to seek excellence everywhere in our conceptions, contrary to what we find in the Bling-Bling fashion.
