Introducing Lynsh: The Lebanese Jewellery Brand On The Rise
Bazaar Arabia contributor Cynthia Jreige speaks to founder Lynn Chamoun about the fine jewellery brand born out of serendipitous moment in San Francisco…
Lynsh is the story of Lynn Chamoun, a Lebanese product designer-turned-jeweller by luck thanks to a pearl found in a souvenir shop at Pier 9 in San Francisco while on holiday. From that pearl was born a now established brand, operating between the designer’s native Beirut and Lugano, Switzerland where she currently resides.
Creating both recurring timeless collections and fully custom-made pieces, out-of-the-box designs and top-notch artisanal savoir-faire define Lynsh’s DNA. A savvy mix of architectural and vintage influences, colours and a playful je-ne-sais-quoi managed to turn Lynsh into a highly desirable brand in just under five years.
We spoke to Lynn Chamoun about her vision; why it’s important to her to work with Lebanese craftsmen and what’s in store for the future of her brand.
On The Beginnings
After completing a degree in Product Design in Florence, Chamoun left Italy and returned to Lebanon where she gained professional know-how working successively as a furniture buyer, then as a product designer. With some time on her hands between these two experiences, Lynn flew to San Francisco with her best friend for what would end up being a life-changing trip. Little did she know that a pearl, found in a gift shop near Pier 9, was about to redesign her career in a very unexpected way.
Once back home and determined to turn that pearl into an earring to commemorate their trip, Lynn and her best friend met with a family of jewellers, in hopes of bringing the piece to life – a process so enjoyable, the designer visited them again to have more creations done, eventually building a solid relationship with the artisans: “The jewelers took me under their wing, and the owner became my mentor and advisor, and still is today,” she tells Bazaar Arabia.
This spontaneous mentorship encouraged Lynn to see beyond a few creations for her personal use. “A year into making jewelry for myself, he told me that he believed I had an eye and a talent I should share; he encouraged me to start my own brand because he found my take on jewellery design to be different which allowed me to create unique pieces and translate my vision through art,” she says.
Lynsh was born.
On Inspiration
Jewellery wasn’t a complete accident for Lynn. “My fascination with the world of gems started when I was quite young; I was exposed to it growing up with a very big jewelry-fan mother who shared that passion with me,” she says.
The women in her life have tremendously impacted the designer’s inspirations and were the starting point of her first collection: Aida, her mentor’s mother and the reason behind the “Aida” earring; Shereen, the best friend with whom it all began back in California and who’s the SH of Lynsh; and Ferial, Lynn’s mother and muse.
Besides this ever-inspiring trio, Lynn turns to art, nature or architecture for ideas: “I like unique movements, so I draw them first by hand on a paper then I switch to drawing them on myself, my finger, or hands. After that, I bring the designs to life through a 3D drawing and by sourcing the gemstones I think would work best with each piece. I spend days curating each design in order to come up with unique combinations of both shape and gems, bringing together my two worlds: design and jewellery.”
Sourcing vintage pieces is part of the creation process at Lynsh. “I love going to markets and finding unique pieces that will complete my ‘art de la table.’ I’m fascinated by the world of gemstones, art and colours,” she says.
Careful to always propose something out of the ordinary, Lynn thrives on being unique.
“Every time someone new sees the pieces, they always say that they haven’t seen anything similar before, which is what makes me the happiest. It validates the true uniqueness of Lynsh. Each piece has a story of its own and I work on my collections with a vision and dream for my jewels. I want them to live through generations.”
On Lebanese Craftsmanship
Producing in Lebanon has always been in the DNA of Lynn’s brand, who never misses a chance to highlight the talent and the savoir-faire of Lebanese artisans. “I love working in Lebanon, we have some of the best craftsmen in the world and with Lynsh being an international brand, I get the chance to shed light on the delicate and dreamy work of my country’s craftsmen,” she says.
Real works of art, creating a Lynsh piece doesn’t just need a single artisan. “I work with different artists, as I like to call them; each of them a master of his own craft. Most people don´t know that each piece goes through the hand of 3 to 5 craftsmen, in order to get the best result.”
On The Future Of The Brand
With four collections launched since the brand’s birth in 2017 and their first Beirut pop-up, Lynsh has succeeded in creating a real community.
“From the very early stages into the creation of the brand, my aim was for Lynsh to become a brand that would truly be cherished and trusted, and it’s through these curated pieces that I’ve managed to build strong bonds with Lynsh customers across the Middle East, especially in Beirut & Dubai,” Lynn says
In addition to the main label, Lynn Chamoun House Of Jewelry saw the day to fully enable clients to custom-make pieces with real tailored support provided throughout the creation process – another way to solidify strong relationships with her customers.
“We took our time to establish Lynsh in the region. 2023 is the year I take it to new heights. I recently moved to Lugano in Switzerland and spend most of my time between Milan and Paris, which has allowed me to take Lynsh to the next step by introducing the brand in Europe. We’re still at the early stages of the launch but the feedback so far is truly overwhelmingly positive and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come in this new market,” she says, regarding the direction the brand will be going in this year.
We recommend you catch that train early and gift yourself a piece of Lynsh, which you can do from the comfort of your sofa on lynshjewelry.com
For more information, visit lynshjewelry.com
Images supplied.