House of Tabbah Opening
In December 2014, the House of Tabbah opens its flagship store on Allenby Street Beirut. A timeless and refined place, blending French elegance and Oriental warmth, dedicated to the Art of High Jewelry.
Tabbah Celebrates its 150th anniversary
On this occasion Tabbah launched Infinite Tabbah, a series of designs and movies created using actual pieces of Tabbah jewelry and inspired by the effects of kaleidoscope lenses.
Princess Charlene of Monaco
In close collaboration with HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco, Nagib Tabbah designs and crafts bespoke pieces worn at her marriage to HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, son of Grace Kelly.
The Saga Continues
House of Tabbah celebrates 25 years of the Saga watch by introducing two exclusive styles in a limited edition, the Saga Sea and the Saga Diamond.
The Copacabana Collection
Tabbah launches the Copacabana collection, a line of bracelets that combines fashion with high jewelry by mixing brightly coloured leather straps with an ever-expanding series of interchangeable motifs crafted from precious stones and metals.
Garden of Eden
Under the Designer Collection umbrella, Nagib Tabbah launches several collections of jewelry inspired by the story of Eve’s seduction in the Garden of Eden. Characters such as the Divine Serpent and Kiss Me rings become huge hits and continue to define the Garden of Eden collections today.
The Designer Collection
Following studies at the Gemological Institute of America in New York and time spent working in Tabbah’s European offices, Nabil’s son Nagib joins his father in Beirut. His passion sees the House of Tabbah explore new creative methods of working over the coming decades and founds the Designer Collection, a range that proves popular with a younger generation.
Christie's Letter to Tabbah
Following the auction in 1996, President of Christie’s, Francois Curiel, wrote “Jewels signed Tabbah are greatly sought after by collectors throughout the world.”
Tabbah at Christie's
International auction house Christie’s features bespoke Tabbah pieces put up for sale by Mona Ayoub (the former wife of Saudi royal advisor Dr. Nasser Al Rashid), who is a celebrated collector of couture and rare jewelry. The global hype around this event places Tabbah firmly on the international map of high-end jewelry design.
Galaxy of Light
Once a generation, rarely more, a jeweler has the opportunity to create an historic masterpiece of great distinction.
The “Galaxy of Light” is a parure made with more than three hundred fifty carats of intense pink and white diamonds. The center stone of which is the stunningly pure seventy carats “Star Of Orient”.
It has taken more than three years to acquire a sufficient number of stones to complete this parade of “D” internally flawless diamonds.
The “Galaxy of Light” consists of a necklace, bracelet, two earrings and a finger ring.
An Extraordinary Man
On May 30 of this year, Nagib Tabbah Sr. passes away.
An extraordinary man marked by genius.
Few men mark their time and Nagib Tabbah Sr. was one of them. Born in 1912, he combined all of the jeweler’s skills from engraving inherited from his ancestors to cutting diamonds, goldsmithing, polishing, prototyping. He also had an incredible knowledge of precious stones and pioneered the jewelry industry in a profound way. Charming and delightful his passion was to satisfy his clients. A painter, pianist and master pool player, his curiosity was unmatched. He travelled the world for inspiration. His devotion and commitment to his work enabled him to realize the most incredible pieces of his time. He established the values of the House of Tabbah that continue to live on to this day.
Monaco Boutique
Tabbah opens a boutique directly below the Hôtel de Paris, located in Monaco’s most prestigious retail destination.
The Saga Watch
Tabbah launches the Saga watch. The Saga takes five years of intensive research and becomes the first of a special generation to join an exclusive family of uniquely stylish wristwatches bearing the Tabbah name. The Saga watch was followed by the Beret, the Copacabana and the Personal watches.
The Copacabana Watch
The Personal Watch
The Beret Ring
Tabbah launches the Beret ring, which becomes the style icon of a new generation.
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields seen wearing Tabbah jewelry on the cover of l'Officiel France.
Famous Stones
Nabil Tabbah becomes one of the world’s most respected buyers of important stones, a position that sees him acquire the most prestigious and historical precious stones including, amongst many others, ‘The Zale Light of Peace’, ‘The Red Cross’, ‘The Jonker’, ‘The Ashberg’ and ‘The Blue Lily’.
Tabbah Monte-Carlo Showroom
Fourth generation Nabil Tabbah relocates to the Principality
of Monaco with his family, to oversee Tabbah’s European expansion. A Tabbah showroom is opened and this move to Monaco is inherent to the international reputation of Tabbah, with Monte Carlo remaining a destination for many loyal clients.
Ginger Rogers
Star of the silver screen, actress and dancer, Ginger Rogers visits the Tabbah atelier in Beirut and compliments Tabbah with a
hand-written note.
Phoenician Line
Nagib Tabbah pioneers conceptual jewelry with the launch of the Phoenician line, which gains notoriety for its repetitive patterns, inspired by the region’s culture and history. The collection continues to be sought-after by collectors.
Tabbah/Gerald Genta collaboration
Nagib Tabbah produces a series of exclusive wrist watches in collaboration with Gerald Genta, designer of several prestigious Swiss watch makers.
Tabbah/Piaget Collaboration
Nagib Tabbah Sr. designs with Yves Piaget a unique bespoke watch. Its design reflects the creative era of the 1960's.
Centenary Celebration
Tabbah marks its centenary year with the creation of the first documented archive tracing the history of the family. Nagib Tabbah produces what has become a priceless family treasure: one unique book with a cover and binding crafted in delicate gold motifs and embedded with precious stones.
Centenary Coin
Tabbah commemorates the Centenary with a one-of-a-kind pocket watch inspired by a coin.
Beauty Queens
This is also the year when several of the world’s beauty queens were invited for a private visit to the Tabbah boutique and workshops in Beirut. Miss France is photographed wearing an iconic Tabbah jewelry piece.
Tabbah Drawings
The House of Tabbah archives include a large collection of sketches and drawings stored in a securely kept vault where humidity and temperature are strictly controlled. Accumulated over decades, these life-size drawings, using the gouache technique, represent more than 100 years of the House’s creativity and are still an inspiration for Tabbah jewelers today.
Serpent Ring
Infused with potent symbolism throughout history, the first serpent ring crafted by Nagib Tabbah Sr. in 1957 showcases the extraordinary engraving skills inherited by his ancestors. Set with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, the Tabbah scaled serpent sets the stage as the main character in the celebrated 2005 Garden of Eden collection.
Honeycomb Ribbon Bracelet
Tabbah pioneers a honeycomb link, which allows for the creation of patterned bracelets. These are crafted in a variety of metals and stones including rose gold set with diamonds and rubies.
Bab Idriss Boutique
Third generation Nagib Tabbah founds his workshop in Bab Idriss, in the area now called Beirut Central District, and employs some 50 craftsmen to realize the Tabbah designs.
Art Deco Era
The House of Tabbah designed and crafted some of the most striking jewelry pieces during the Art Deco era (1915-1935). Example of that fine crafting is this Tabbah platinum Art Deco ring and bracelet characterized by geometric patterns set with diamonds, circa 1925.
Nagib Tabbah
Nagib Tabbah Sr. was born on the 19th of June 1912.
Nayef Tabbah
Joseph's son Nayef perpetuates the skills acquired from his father. The house's archives include Nayef's personal seal and an invoice dating back to 1917.
From Silk Printing to Jewelry Making
Joseph Tabbah founds Tabbah as a jewelry house. Having learned the art of engraving printing blocks from his own father, Joseph shows remarkable talent in the engraving and embossing of gold and silver objects and becomes renowned for his delicate filigree work.
In the 19th Century
In the 19th Century, the Tabbah family specialized in engraving wooden blocks for silk printing. The name Tabbah means printer. The geographical position of the town of Zahle, where they were based, was located along the silk route, which brought trade in this industry from east and west.