Alina Issa: “My jewelry is created to awaken a sea of emotions.”
Alina Issa creates bold and unconventional jewelry, where creativity and innovation meet the most intricate techniques of high jewelry. We spoke with the brand’s founder and designer, Alina Issa, about how these pieces are born.
The brand Alina Issa may be new to the jewelry industry, but not its founder. Before launching her namesake label, Alina followed a rigorous professional path: she earned a degree in gemology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, training in expert laboratories, then studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). After graduation, she spent more than ten years working with private international clients, sourcing unique and investment-grade gemstones from across the globe, always meeting the highest standards.
Her journey in jewelry design began in Paris, where she studied under and became close friends with one of France’s—and indeed the world’s—most acclaimed jewelers, Sébastien Durgut. This collaboration opened the door for Alina Issa jewelers to apprentice in his legendary atelier.
When creating jewelry, Alina boldly mixes Art Deco with classical Modernism, playing with colors, geometric forms, and symbols. These designs never leave clients indifferent—many return again and again. We met with Alina to learn how she came to the idea of founding her own brand, to talk about bestsellers, and to understand why Alina Issa jewelry feels almost addictive.
— Where does your love for gemstones and jewelry come from?
— Designers often recall charming childhood stories about playing with family heirlooms—that’s where it all began for them. I don’t have such a story. I was a typical Soviet child, and no one instilled a love of jewelry in me. My passion started by chance, when I visited a gemstone exhibition in Hong Kong. Seeing countless gems in all shades and cuts opened up an incredible world to me, and I realized I wanted to work with stones. That was about 14 years ago.
— What was your first step into this world?
— I decided to begin from the scientific side, studying gemstones in leading gemological laboratories. First, I earned a diploma in diamond expertise, and later in colored gemstones, at Moscow State University. A year later came GIA, which combined study with practice, making it even more thorough. At the same time, I worked with an international jewelry brand. I should note that GIA is a world-renowned institute, and its certificates are considered the gold standard. Speaking of diamonds, I purchase them only with GIA certificates.
— Not every brand insists on that level of certification.
— For me, it’s essential because I am responsible for quality standards. For example, there’s the Belgian HRD laboratory, but their grading tends to be more lenient, so diamonds with HRD certificates are usually a bit cheaper.
— You worked for a long time with international private clients. What was the most unusual request?
— One client, whose collection already included the rarest gems, asked for a Colombian emerald cut in the shape of a heart, with the Mariposa effect. In other words, the “oil drop effect” found only in the Muzo region—such stones can reach several hundred thousand dollars per carat. We searched for a long time, reaching out to companies worldwide that specialize in emeralds.
In the end, we found a unique 10-carat stone, truly worthy of being displayed in a museum. It was a challenging but fascinating task.
— Before founding your brand, you offered jewelry atelier services. Was that a rehearsal before the big launch?
— I always knew that sooner or later I would create my own brand. The question was timing—I wanted to be fully prepared. Launching a jewelry brand requires major investments and carries risks, so it was important for me to master the technical aspects, PR strategies, and marketing. I also wanted to develop a collection that reflected my taste but would resonate with clients. I had been warned that the Russian market favors classic “jewelry wardrobe essentials” and is less enthusiastic about designer pieces. That’s why it took me quite some time to move toward my own brand.
— How do you see the market today—what do buyers want?
— People still buy classics, but a growing number of clients come to me seeking to stand out and express their style through more complex and unique designs. I can confidently say that I am often fortunate with clients—they’re open to experiments, we share a vision of beauty, and they’re curious about exploring the world of truly rare gemstones you don’t see every day. When I see the emotions they feel, I know I’m moving in the right direction.
My goal is to create not just jewelry, but art objects—pieces worthy of being presented at international exhibitions such as GemGenève in Switzerland. Russian jewelers possess extraordinary craftsmanship of the highest level, and the world deserves to see it.
— Alina Issa offers two lines: fine jewelry and high jewelry. Was this division present from the beginning?
— Yes, from day one we launched both lines: fine jewelry and high jewelry.
— What are your bestsellers?
— Our brand is renowned for its emeralds. We feature stones from the Urals, Zambia, and Colombia, all hand-selected by me as a gemologist. Most of them are untreated, in top color grades, and without surface-reaching inclusions—crucial for a stone’s durability. I also pay close attention to precise cutting, which gives a gem its brilliance and inner glow.
Among our bestsellers, I must mention the popularity of spinels in “midnight” tones—what in Russia is called “stormy.” Art Deco-inspired rings with diamond baguettes are consistently sold out—we can’t produce them fast enough. And of course, our iconic cross necklace in yellow and white diamonds remains on waiting lists, adored by clients such as Ksenia Sobchak, Katerina Mukhina, Viktoria Shelyagova, and many other style icons.
— What unique techniques do your artisans master?
— For example, one of our craftsmen works with titanium—a real rarity in Russia. Very few know how to handle this metal, as it is heavy and unpredictable. One of its most remarkable qualities is that when heated to certain temperatures, titanium changes color—it can turn blue, yellow, green, bright pink, and many other shades.
— Do you also create bespoke jewelry?
— Yes, the brand also works as a jewelry atelier. For me, crafting each bespoke piece is a special ritual where I bring to life the client’s wishes and ideas. These creations always carry a piece of the owner’s soul and are not only passed down through generations but become true messages, speaking the language of gemstones and metals.
— Tell us about your collaboration with Yulia Posh, co-author of the Telegram channel “Antiglyanets.” How did the collection come together?
— The idea for So Posh by Alina Issa was born from a jewel Yulia designed for her 33rd birthday: a ruby snake coiling around an emerald cross. She came to me to bring it to life—and the snake became the central motif of our capsule collection, infused with meaning. The work was colossal! The theme we chose was far from simple—it drew upon one of the key pillars of the world’s creation story, familiar to everyone. Developing the collection took over a hundred days, but the result was absolutely worth it.
Most recently, we unveiled another equally striking collaboration. Together with artist Anka Akhalaya, we created the jewelry collection Moi. Anka is a graduate of the British Higher School of Design and the University of Hertfordshire, known for her abstract art. Inspired by the graceful yet defiant lines in her paintings, we designed Moi—a collection revealing the power of inner transformation in every woman. Soft, bold, vibrant curves of emeralds, tsavorites, sapphires, and diamonds reflect the essence of womanhood: to adapt to circumstances, yet never lose authenticity, living in harmony with one’s nature.
— Jewelry is a challenging business, especially in times of crisis. What drives your sales today?
— In my case, it’s the personal brand. People buy when they connect with you—when they relate to your lifestyle, when they feel the energy you put into your creations. Today, no one wants to buy “just things.” I create jewelry that, in the best sense of the word, becomes addictive—pieces that evoke a sea of emotions.