Born into a family of diamond dealers, Ali Khalil left a decade-long career in London’s financial world to follow what he believes is his true calling, to create timeless jewelry through his brand Levuma. Founded by Khalil in 2016, the jewelry house has a long tradition in the diamond industry, beginning with his great-grandfather. In the 1930s, Khalil’s great-grandfather began trading rough diamonds in Sierra Leone. Fast forward to 2016 and Khalil decided to name his brand after Levuma, a remote village in the southeastern part of Sierra Leone and the site of the family’s first plot of land dedicated to mining diamonds.

And the brand has no shortage of glittering fans — in September, pop star Mariah Carey appeared at the MTV Video Music Awards in a $10 million diamond set by the company.

“Seeing Mariah Carey wear one of my pieces was an ‘I made it’ moment. I never imagined that as a kid growing up in Antwerp. But every milestone just pushes me to go further,” Khalil told Arab News recently in Dubai.

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