Marmari Magic

Marmari! Jewelry founder Nouran Elmarmari talks about how motherhood influenced a shift in career and set her life in a new direction

Tell us about your business – what inspired the idea and when did you start it?
I quit my job around 2016 when my health started deteriorating to the point where I thought I was going to die. I wanted to create a legacy for my daughter – Tuleen was only two years old. It pained me that she might not get to know her mother. I didn’t realise it at the time, but Marmari was my love letter to my daughter. Jewellery has always been a big part of my life and my family’s history. When I wanted to change my career, jewellery design was the natural choice. My grandfather was a businessman and a jeweller. I never got to meet him, but I inherited some of his pieces. Growing up, I was told stories about him and when I wore the pieces that I have, I felt like I knew him in a way. But it was my mother and my maternal grandmother who taught me everything I know about jewellery. I loved watching my grandmother organise her jewellery box. She did it few times a year as she liked to ‘rotate her memories.’ “I don’t want to forget anyone,” she would say. She taught me to appreciate jewellery not for its materialistic value but for the stories each piece tells.  

What do you consider to be your greatest personal and professional achievements? 
Marmari! Jewelry is my language of choice. I use it to express myself and to tell stories, ambitions, dreams and to set intentions. On a personal level, my greatest achievement is that I was able to overcome my health issues and that I didn’t let them define me and what I could accomplish. I am still not in remission yet, but I am sure I will get there.

What are the keys to creating a profitable business?
My background is in design, not business. So, the business aspect of creating my brand was not easy. What I learned is that no matter what your business model is, you need these four qualities to succeed: passion, determination, consistency, and being adaptable. 

What were your biggest business challenges? How did you overcome them?
Finding the right team. I was determined to find a production team and workshops that align with Marmari’s ethics, sustainable efforts, and high-quality standards. It took me eight months.

What advice would you give to the younger generation that might want to follow in your footsteps?
Stay true to yourself, be persistent, and don’t compare yourself to others. You are writing your own story. 

How do you manage the daily stress of managing your business?
I do things that ground me such as spending time with my daughter. Children are truly magic. I do Pilates regularly. I spend time with my husband, family, and friends. Due to my health struggles, I learned to take life one day at a time and to trust the process.

How does social media make you feel in general?
To be honest, social media doesn’t come easy to me. It took me time to be able to share and just be myself on social media. That being said, social media offers an easy sustainable way to reach your clients and like-minded individuals. I have made wonderful friendships through social media.

Do you feel that magazines, brands, and PR agencies lack diversity in this region? Do you feel you are included and represented?
I consider myself lucky to be living in the UAE, the beacon of diversity. Unfiltered is a great example of this. 

What is your pet peeve?
Littering. It’s like people who do that expect others to clean after them, not to mention the impact on the environment. 

What makes you unique?
What I love about myself is that I am resilient, loyal, and I always try to find magic everywhere I go.