George Hakim Jewellery

The story of George Hakim Jewelry House started in 1875 when young entrepreneur George Hakim established his first jewelry shop in the famed gold souks of the Ottoman empire. That was the start of a four-generation spanning journey that will witness the rise of a brand from its local artisan roots to international prominence.

In 1915, on a visit to Rome, George gifted the Vatican a silver reproduction of the historic Church of Mardin, specially handcrafted in his own workshop. This constituted a special milestone through the journey that, ultimately, established the company as an international creator of elegant style, bold artistry and innovative design.

Behind every great achievement is a dreamer of great dreams. For his part, George Hakim pursued his dream of reaching larger markets by opening a branch in the famous gold souks of Aleppo, which was at the time a major Middle East trading center. This paved the way for son and successor, Elias Hakim, to join the business and build upon the bequeathed legacy. Elias capitalized on his father’s success and started trading finely crafted jewels to major traders in the Levant region.

In 1939, Elias and his family moved their jewelry house to Beirut, the city where the company’s headquarters are still located today. Thereupon, Elias went on to establish his first jewelry business in its new home, at the heart of Beirut gold souks.

In 1948, George Hakim, grandson of the original founder, becomes the third generation of jewelers to join the business. A few years later, pursuing his father and grandfather’s global vision, George turned to Europe in search of new sources of quality gemstones. Driven by passion and ambition, he travelled around the world and acquired select gemstones from China, India and Africa to use in the creation of his masterpieces. In spite of the hardships of the civil war that ravaged Beirut from 1975 to the late 80s, George’s dedication and perseverance enabled him to maintain and grow his business.

In 1991, the fourth generation of the George Hakim house joins the business. Elias, Karim, Nabil and Alain, pursued college education, then, received gemology degrees from the Gemological Institute of America, bringing in to their family business innovative minds, modern management skills and technical expertise. Visionary merchants with a passion for the rarest and most extraordinary gemstones, the Hakim family set out to establish their brand as a reference standard in quality and a synonym of luxury and style.

The year 1994 witnesses the opening of George Hakim’s modern workshop in Beirut, with over 70 highly skilled artisans equipped with the latest innovations in machinery and tools. This milestone, along with the longstanding legacy of exploration and discovery, established the company as a world-renowned jeweler.

In 1995, George Hakim Jewelers launch the Alain Philippe Swiss made watches brand. This luxurious timepiece collection is powered with high precision Swiss mechanisms, and crafted with pinpoint attention to design quality and detail. Flawlessly engineered to allow the diamond to blend in with the timepiece shell, the Alain Philippe collection introduced avant-garde design concepts to the industry, which have since shaped some of the world’s greatest watches. This design innovation is now widely adopted in the upscale luxury watches industry where Alain Philippe has inevitably become a household name.

In 1996, driven by the same passion and determination which characterized hitherto their success and eventual rise to prominence, George Hakim Jewelers launch a retail business operation, an upscale boutique located in Achrafieh, a trendy district of Beirut. This glamorously elegant boutique exhibits splendid jewelry masterworks admired and coveted by connoisseurs and collectors from all around the Middle East.

In 2009, George Hakim Jewelers inaugurate their flagship boutique at the heart of Beirut Central District, where the group’s management and manufacturing teams were also relocated. The boutique features intelligent designs conceived to emphasize and promote the magnificence of the displayed jewels and timepieces.

In 2010, George Hakim Jewelers open a boutique in a prime location inside the historic Beirut Souks. The location is in the vicinity of the Alain Philippe flagship store. The move to this trendy and busy area of the city highlights the company’s desire to bring their innovative concepts to the dynamic and youthful pool of shoppers and jewelry enthusiasts.

In the year 2013, George Hakim Jewelers open their first boutique in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Kempinski Grand Hotel. The boutique was later relocated to Rue du Rhône 90, Geneva. This entry into the European market constitutes a significant landmark which underscores the company’s desire to attend to its growing Europe-based clientele.
With design quality and expertise in their sails, this bold venture into the heart of the Old Continent underlines once more the group’s unwavering ambition to transform their luxury brand into a global powerhouse.

In 2015, the group’s retail expansion continues as another boutique opens its doors at Aishti by the Sea (Greater Beirut), a landmark building designed by star architect Sir David Adjaye.

Since 2015, building on their large client base, the group directed their retail expansion strategy to the GCC. This move will enhance supply and quality of service to the GCC region by providing a physical presence and local boutiques in the key jewelry markets of the Arab peninsula, namely, UAE, Qatar, KSA and Kuwait.

Over its history, George Hakim Jewelers transformed their brand and their market approach to remain relevant to the changing times and to passing generations. All the while, the group remained evermore loyal to the original elegance and quality which distinguished their jewels in the first place.
In 2021, with the emergence of internet shopping, the group launched a fully-fledged online boutique that caters to their global fans and to their expanding client base who fancy the comfort and experience of shopping from home.