As a young architecture graduate, Hiba Husayni had to do one of the bravest things a person can do—she left her home and family to travel to another country to start an entirely new career.
Husayni says she leveraged her years of experience in architecture to fuel her vision and creativity, focusing on fine jewelry. Those skills are what gave her the push to go into jewelry and, in 2021, found her own fine jewelry brand ZAHN-Z.
“The name ‘Zahn’ translates from Arabic to ‘beautify an existing beauty,’ perfectly encapsulating the mission of ZAHN-Z,” Husayni says. “The initials Z, A, H, and N represent my family: Zenia, an architect and my eldest sister; Aya, a doctor and my youngest sister; Hiba or myself, an ex-architect and lifelong jewelry designer; and Naomi, my mother and fellow architect.”
Husayni transition from Homs, Syria, to the United States starts with her parents—both are engineers. They raised four children, including Husayni’s brother, Abdo. Husayni and Abdo are only 11 months apart, and they shared the same school, friends, and, ultimately, lives, Husayni says.
Jewelry wasn’t recognized as a viable career in Syria, so Husayni followed in her family’s path and enrolled in architecture school. The other family career path is medicine, and Abdo went in that direction, Husayni says. But she graduated in 2011, a time of great unrest in Syria.
“Unfortunately, I graduated when job opportunities were scarce and the country was struggling to grow,” Husayni says. “I realized that leaving Syria and forging my own path in the United States was the best decision I could make. With my parents’ unwavering support, I left Syria alone at age 22 in pursuit of my dreams.”
In between Syria and the United States, Husayni landed in Egypt in 2012, where she enrolled at the Azza Fahmy Design Studio, which works in partnership with the Alchimia Contemporary Jewelry School in Florence, Italy. Husayni says she got a great education there in bench jewelry.
In 2014, she moved to New York City. She enrolled in the New York Jewelry Design Institute, and she says she felt drawn to 3D software and CAD/CAM technology. Upon graduation, Husayni got a job as a CAD jewelry designer at Unique Settings, which she describes as a large factory that designs and manufactures for major jewelry retailers including Brilliant Earth, James Allen, and Ring Concierge.
Husayni says CAD techniques use advanced software to bring intricate designs to life. She soon found other lessons she learned from architecture were helping her with her new jewelry job, like conceptual design, structural integrity, proportion and scale, as well as storytelling.
“I focused on custom designs, and my strong background in 3D space from architecture made the transition seamless,” Husayni says. “Working in an A-to-Z factory provided the invaluable experience of seeing the entire process from start to finish.”
Husayni says she was involved in every step of the jewelry process from design to wax modeling to casting, polishing, and setting. This holistic view allowed her to learn a great deal and gain a comprehensive understanding of how to create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable.
In 2021, Husayni accepted the position of CAD manager at Diamond Direct, and that additional experience plus her own fascination with jewelry convinced her it was time to start her own brand. Every little lesson added up, she says.
“Working with measurements as precise as 0.1 mm was truly fascinating; the shift from inches and meters to such minute details was initially surprising. Many people may not realize how a mere 0.1 mm can make or break a ring’s design,” Husayni says.
Working and running her jewelry brand at the same time is a challenge, but one that is worth it, she adds.
“Ultimately, my goal is to create jewelry that resonates with people, helping them feel connected to their own stories and the narratives behind each piece,” Husayni says.
Top: Hiba Husayni used the creativity and skills she gained as a trained architect to help her start her own jewelry brand (photos courtesy of ZAHN-Z).
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