OVERT OPERATION
London-based, family-owned jeweller Moussaieff is gradually shedding its cloak of secrecy in an attempt to entice a new band of jewellery connoisseurs.
Unlike the grand maisons of Place Vendome or the diamond doyens of Fifth Avenue, Moussaieff is not exactly a household name. Advertisements are few and far between and celebrity endorsements are nonexistent. That is just the way the London-based, family-owned jeweller likes it, the mystique having served the house well in attracting a highpowered mix of royalty, glitterati and high-society clients who patronise its discreet boutique in London’s Hilton
Hotel. But times are changing, and Moussaieff can no longer rely on a handful of elites, nor word-ofmouth recommendations, to keep its tills ringing. In September 2017, the jeweller took to La Biennale Paris – the city’s foremost art, antiques and jewellery fair – to showcase its wares.
In June 2018, Moussaieff did the same on its home turf, exhibiting for the first time at Masterpiece, London’s premier art/design/ furniture/jewellery fair.
This is where I meet Alisa Moussaieff, widow of brand founder Shlomo Moussaieff (1925–2015) and guardian of the house. Sprightly in spite of her 88 years, she oversees sales, designs and acquisitions, a role she has played since the brand’s first boutique opened in 1963.
Her business acumen is readily apparent. I get the sense that she drives a hard bargain.
“You have to, because otherwise how can my customers get what they need?” she remarks. “The world is so competitive these days. If I can’t get the best price for my clients, they won’t buy from me. They won’t buy because of my beautiful blue eyes.
Times are changing and Moussaieff can no longer rely on a handful of elites,
nor word-of-mouth recommendations, to keep its tills ringing.