Immortalising Memories: The Deeply Personal Creations of Kyan Jewelry 

The poets say there must be a spark to fall in love. Of course, this applies to romantic relationships, but I think it is similarly true when falling in love with art, music, jewellery or some other form of craftsmanship. The spark is a moment of inspiration – the metaphorical light bulb shining brightly above one's head – and it looks different for every person. In the case of Kyan Jewelry Founder Amal Sanad, it was searching for a special pendant to commemorate her late mother that provided the catalyst she needed. Now, she's at the helm of a brand that fuses art, emotion, fine jewellery and creativity for the purpose of preserving special memories and encapsulating sentiment. 

Kyan Jewelry was on my radar for almost a year before I met the Bahraini designer in November 2024 when I visited the country. One thing I learnt about Amal Sanad is her determination to nurture the heart and celebrate the soul of her customers. Through jewellery, she creates a bridge that connects them to deeper, more meaningful moments in their lives and the memories they're choosing to treasure forever. 

All this hails from quite a sad place, however, as the designer explains to me: "The history of my journey in jewellery design began with a deeply personal experience. My first creation was a pendant featuring a photo of my late mother. I vividly remember walking into the goldsmith's shop, filled with a mix of emotions but without a sketched design in hand. I simply asked for a large, round pendant that would showcase her radiant smile—a way to keep her close to my heart."

It was then that she realised just how much power jewellery has to "transform intangible emotions, like love and memory, into something tangible that we can cherish". According to Amal: “Jewellery is an emotional carrier that connects you with your essence and your true self”. It allows her to blend artistry, emotion, and storytelling, creating timeless pieces that reflect personal moments and connect deeply with the wearer.

The next phase was developing Amal’s own brand and finding her own creative identity. She began with the word 'Kyan', which has roots in Arabic and the Holy Quran, meaning being, existence, essence or entity. She liked how this word reflected her Bahrani culture and encouraged the notion of finding the divine within oneself. "At the same time, my lifelong love for art, colours and gemstones played a huge role," she explains of the Kyan Jewelry origin story, which was further shaped by a passion for gemstone energies and the natural world. 

And, so, Kyan Jewelry blossomed into being in August 2021 with a clear vision to celebrate beauty, art, nature and the human spirit. As the brand has grown, it has focused on exciting collaborations with award-winning Bahrani artists to fulfil its promise of intertwining jewellery with other artistic mediums, like painting and photography. Amal explains: "My goal was to create a brand that stands out through its uniqueness and innovation while staying true to the elegance of fine jewellery. This direction started by building deep connections with artists and understanding their creative philosophies. I wanted to bring their stories and visions into the world of jewellery in a way that felt authentic and meaningful." And I feel like she has fulfilled her goal with perfection.

To date, there are three collaborative collections with artists. One is The Secret Garden, crafted in collaboration with Dr. Mayasa Al Sowaidi, a self-taught artist with a background in mathematics and business, who I had the pleasure of meeting together with Amal. This collection is nothing like I have seen before as it merges actual oil painting canvases with fine jewellery design, transforming art into wearable treasures. The result is a beautiful impressionistic wash of deep purple, lilac, mauve, pink, orange and yellow hues, capturing the essence of wildflowers moving in a summer breeze. Each painting is placed within a soft flower-shaped frame of yellow gold, dusted with round brilliant-cut diamonds and accented with marquise-cut pink sapphires and peridots. 

Elsewhere, the mixed-media and photography talents of Shaikha Marwa R. Al-Khalifa are infused into another collection, this time focusing on feminine strength through Bahrani pearls, fibreglass and steel. "Together, we reimagined Bahrain's iconic pearls," Amal says, "blending traditional elegance with a contemporary twist to honour this timeless symbol of the country's heritage." My favourite piece in this offering is a pair of drop earrings – minimalist in appearance – crafted as two slightly concave orbs of yellow gold and studded with pearls and diamonds, like the interior surfaces of a futuristic mollusc brought to life! 

Finally, there's the Kyan by Abbas Almosawi collection, which channels the impressionistic style of this leading Bahrani artist by incorporating culture, nature, and landscapes. If I had to choose, which would be a challenge, I would say that this is my favourite because of its incredible miniature worlds, dotted with palm trees, undulating sandy walkways and beautiful moonlight-flecked skies. Large mandarin garnets and kyanites are placed alongside seed pearls and diamonds in geometric golden frames, which create the effect of looking through a window into a magical world. I especially like the octagonal creations – a pendant and a beautiful bangle – with diamonds set into the frame around Almosawi's artwork for a more evening-appropriate look. A final nod must also go to the Blooming Beauty earrings, which showcase three women walking beneath the vibrant pink petals of the bougainvillaea tree. 

Naturally, as well as celebrating each individual artist's aesthetic, these collaborations also shine a spotlight on Bahrain's identity, culture, creative output, people and signature style. As the smallest country in the Middle East, Bahrain covers just 294 square miles and has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. It could quite easily get overshadowed by its neighbours Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman, so promoting its own unique identity is an important undertaking. "Bahrain's history and traditions, like the elegance of pearls and motifs from nature, often influence my designs," Amal explains. "I'm drawn to vibrant, earthy tones and ethereal palettes that reflect nature and emotion, while gemstones play a central role as each carries its own story. My goal is to create timeless pieces that celebrate art, culture, and individuality."

Looking to the future, Amal's vision is to explore different cultures and collaborate with artists from around the world who share the Kyan philosophy. She tells me: "It's all about connecting with the essence of art, gemstones, and jewellery-making—creating pieces that are deeply sentimental and rooted in the core of culture and people. " 

With such a strong identity and sense of purpose, I have no doubt that Kyan Jewelry will achieve its aim of flourishing internationally. We will certainly be keeping our eye on the brand to see who it collaborates with next!