Jewellery was never part of Mariyeh’s original plan.

Her path began with loss. Following the death of her father, Abi Ghelichkhani, a celebrated jeweller and silversmith in Tehran known for blending European craftsmanship with Eastern aesthetics, a friend suggested she try goldsmithing as a way of coping with grief.

The first time she sat at the bench, childhood memories came rushing back. Growing up, she had spent countless hours in her father’s workshop, watching him create with extraordinary patience and imagination. Returning to that environment felt less like learning a new craft than rediscovering something that had always been part of her.

Determined to learn, she sought guidance wherever she could, carrying unfinished pieces from one workshop to another until experienced craftspeople recognised both her commitment and her potential. She learnt patiently at the bench — stone by stone, setting by setting, mistake by mistake.

Today, her work carries the influence of that early experience, shaped by Persian heritage, enriched by life across Europe and the Middle East, and grounded in the creative energy of the United Arab Emirates, where she now lives and works.