Eliyahu Mishaely Diamonds offers a unique deal: Diamond and gemstone-set jewelry made entirely in Israel – from the rough diamond to the finished jewelry.
The company is run by the couple Eliyahu and Lisa Mishaeli. Both their families came here from Afghanistan, albeit taking slightly different paths. Lisa was born in India and grew up in Italy, while Eliyahu made aliyah at the age of 16 and later enlisted in the army. Upon his discharge, he worked as a diamond polisher and two years later traveled to the US. where he focused on gemstones. The two met through Lisa’s brother, who used to travel to the US to buy diamonds. When Eliyahu visited Israel, they met, and the rest is history.
Eliyahu has specialized in the diamond industry for 50 years, with a focus on Fancy colored diamonds. In recent years, the company has expanded into jewelry manufacturing and design, and it currently designs unique rings set with colored diamonds and gemstones. Their jewelry style is particularly appealing to customers seeking a slightly different vintage-inspired look.
Who are your customers?
Our customers are women who have the means to purchase and enjoy our jewelry. We don’t launch collections; each ring is different and no two pieces are identical. We also offer custom designs.
Who is responsible for the design?
I design the jewelry alongside a jeweler who works with me.
How would you describe your style?
Our jewelry is special. We have customers who request personalized jewelry sets, with each ring being a unique piece featuring its own stone, cut, pattern, and color. We prioritize the use of high-quality stones and never offer any item without a certificate.
What are your main markets?
In the past, we mainly focused on business-to-business (B2B) transactions, but this shifted somewhat during the pandemic. Covid affected trade, and we started to pivot towards the retail market and the end consumer.
Currently, we are active mainly in Europe, Dubai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. While expensive jewelry finds buyers in Israel, the culture hasn’t fully embraced luxury jewelry, and many still prefer relatively inexpensive pieces.
Do you also market online?
We have some customers who find us through our Instagram and the internet in general. We’d like to shift more towards a digital presence, but it’s not easy. It requires understanding the landscape, investing in it, and being constantly engaged. We have launched a website, but now we need to promote and drive its growth.
In the past, we also sold through Rapnet, but we suspended our activities there during the pandemic. They have a jewelry channel, but constantly sending them items became increasingly challenging to manage over time.
So how do you reach customers?
We know the market. We participate in many exhibitions, mainly in the East. This year, we also took part in the Dubai exhibition. As specialists in Fancy diamonds, which comprises a relatively small group of diamond dealers, people looking for Fancy stones know to reach out to us.
Visit Eliyahu Mishaeli Gemstones on Instagram.
