Princess Nejla bint Asem has built a jewellery house that reflects who she is at her core. The Jordanian royal speaks about design the way you speak about something that genuinely matters, with memory, with instinct, and with the clarity of someone who creates from a place of truth. Her work draws on deep observations of the world around her, reshaping those influences into a vocabulary that prioritises emotion over ornament. It gives the pieces an intimacy that feels almost familiar, even when they are newly imagined. In an exclusive conversation with Soigné Middle East, she opens up about the creative world behind her eponymous fine jewellery brand.
“Jewellery feels like a quiet language of self-expression.” When did that language first begin to take shape for you?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve spoken through color, form, and texture more easily than through words. As a child I was always drawn to collecting little treasures… stones, shells, bits of fabric… fascinated by how beauty and things could hold emotion. Over time, that instinct evolved into jewellery. It became my quiet language; one that allowed me to express identity, mood, and spirituality without saying a word. Designing became a way of translating my inner world: my memories and my sense of wonder into something tangible and timeless.
Your Jordanian and Circassian roots are rich with craft traditions. How do you translate that layered heritage into pieces that feel unmistakably modern?
Heritage to me isn’t something to be replicated… It’s something to be re-imagined and to hold onto and grow, I grew up surrounded by the textures and geometry of Jordanian and Circassian craft, the repetition of patterns, the discipline of symmetry, and the reverence for symbolism. I take those codes and re-interpret them with a modern spirit; softer edges, playful asymmetry, unexpected stones. Some of my pieces are rooted in history but born in the now – where tradition and modernity meet and dance together.
There is freedom and joy that runs through your collections in unexpected chains, various stones, and unique designs. Was that sense of playfulness deliberate?
Absolutely. For too long, fine jewellery was treated as something serious, almost untouchable. I wanted to change that energy, to bring laughter, spontaneity, and movement into luxury because it was something I was looking for to wear.
My designs are meant to smile back at you. They carry depth and craftsmanship, but they also remind you not to take life too seriously. There’s something very human in that, in blending refinement with play, sophistication with joy.
You’ve spoken of wanting to build a community that connects through beauty and individuality. What kind of woman do you imagine when you design, and what conversation do you hope your pieces start?
I imagine women who live with heart. Curious, expressive, connected to their essence. She could be a mother, an artist, a dreamer, but she always leads with authenticity. When she wears my pieces, I want her to feel seen, not by the world, but by herself! I hope my jewellery starts a conversation about individuality, about embracing imperfections, about beauty as an extension of the soul. It’s less about trends and more about energy, a shared belief that jewellery can carry meaning, memory, and magic.
Jewellery has long been intertwined with royal tradition and symbolism. When you began designing under your own name as a royal, what did you want to say differently?
I wanted to express the freedom of individuality. While I’m deeply proud of my heritage and upbringing, my work is not about titles, it’s about truth and emotion. Designing under my own name was a way to connect with and not a formal one. I always wanted my dad’s name with me in this and that’s why I decided to go for it.
I wanted my pieces to speak of lightness, play, and self-discovery. My brand is built on sincerity, on art, and on joy. That, to me, is the most meaningful kind of luxury.
In an age where jewellery trends move at the speed of social media, would you say you’re a trendsetter or a trendspotter?
Neither. I observe, absorb, and then create from instinct. I’m more interested in energy than in trends. I value what people are feeling, what they’re seeking. The goal is to create something timeless yet alive – jewellery that connects across generations and moods.
What are some of your personal favorite designs and why?
Each collection holds a story, but some pieces stay closest to my heart, like the ones carrying my daughters’ drawings, or the kinetic charms that move. I love my spiral eye rings and smiley chains – they embody everything I stand for: movement, joy, and symbolism wrapped in elegance. They remind me that jewellery isn’t just an accessory; it’s a reflection of who we are, constantly evolving and endlessly expressive.
