My Life in Jewelry

“The book doesn’t only talk about Fahmy as a designer, but also gives an insight into her life… . one of the most recognized jewelry designers in the Arab world.” —Vogue Arabia

“Fascinating, informative, candid, and memorable, Azza Fahmy’s life story as told in the pages of My Life in Jewelry: A Memoir is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university Women’s Biography/Memoir collections.“—Midwest Book Review

“An exceptional woman, who makes exceptional jewels in exceptional circumstances.” —The Telegraph on Enchanted Jewelry of Egypt“Azza Fahmy’s brand of tempered Middle Eastern exoticism has started to spread beyond the Arab world.” —Financial Times on Enchanted Jewelry of Egypt“Fahmy’s jewelry catches the spirit of Arab tradition. The pieces are inspired by everything from the hammered silver of peasant wedding jewelry and the repetitive patterns of Islamic architecture to symbols of Arab folklore such as wolf fangs and chili peppers.” —Time Magazine on Enchanted Jewelry of Egypt“The Arab world’s top jewelry designer … Azza Fahmy pieces have been spotted on celebrities such as Naomi Campbell and Queen Rania of Jordan.” ―CNBC on Azza Fahmy

Azza Fahmy was born in 1944 and raised in Sohag, in Upper Egypt. She graduated in interior design from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Egypt, became the first female apprentice to several of the best jewelers in Cairo, and studied jewelry craft at the City of London Polytechnic. She now makes and markets her own jewelry internationally with multiple stores, in Egypt, London, Jordan, and Dubai. She is the author of Enchanted Jewelry of Egypt (AUC Press, 2007) and The Traditional Jewelry of Egypt (AUC Press, 2015).

Sarah Enany is a literary translator and a professor in the English Department at Cairo University. She is a recipient of the Saif-Ghobash Banipal Prize for Literary Translation for her translation of The Girl with Braided Hair (Hoopoe, 2020).