Yehouda Saketkhou, CEO, Yael Designs YAEL Designs is founded by the visionary designer Yehouda Saketkhou, known for creating award-winning one-of-a-kind fine jewelry pieces that reflect his unstoppable imagination and possess exceptional quality meant to last for generations.

Yehouda grew up in Iran and France, and was deeply influenced by these cultures and their distinct traditions. Born into a family of jewelry makers, Yehouda began his road in the industry as a young boy apprenticing at his uncle’s jewelry shop after his family moved to California.

Yehouda’s younger sister Yael was the inspiration behind the founding of YAEL Designs in 2001. Yael, who was born with a mental disability, encouraged her brother to start his own jewelry design house by cutting out pictures of her favorite pieces of jewelry to give to Yehouda for inspiration.

At the very heart of YAEL Designs lies Yehouda’s belief that jewelry should always strive to be art. As an avid art collector, Yehouda is drawn to artists with radical imaginative powers like JAR, Salvador Dali and Antoni Gaudi. Their influence can be seen in YAEL’s award-winning collections and unique custom pieces, which are carefully crafted from the finest quality gemstones and metals.

“I create jewelry that warms the hearts of those who wear it – that is a powerful tool, so I make sure that every step in the design process conveys the inspiration, personality and story of each piece," says the designer.

Another important source of inspiration for Yehouda has been his continuing love affair with traveling to faraway corners of the world, from Philippines to Columbia. His designs often reflect the best of architecture and natural wonders he has encountered on these travels.

A dreamer with a constant stream of ideas and relentless energy, Yehouda has an infectious zest for life that permeates YAEL Designs. Whether working with a long-time collector or someone who is acquiring their first piece of fine jewelry, Yehouda enjoys creating meaningful pieces for those who love the art of jewelry as much as he does.

“I design my pieces to move through the changing fashions by sculpting wearable works of art that have substance and can be worn as easily today as they can 50 years from now,” says the designer.