Inside the World of Toonz: Where Passion, Artistry, and Heritage Meet in Fine Jewelry

October 16, 2025
Nada Armanious
Fashion

From a single self-made piece admired by friends and family to a fine-jewelry brand gracing international showcases, Toonz is proof that passion, artistry, and heritage can converge into something timeless. Founded by Ayesha Mohammed, a third-generation jeweler with a unique background in both business and the arts, Toonz has quickly captured global attention with its bold designs, sculptural craftsmanship, and playful approach to luxury.

With debuts in Monaco and Los Angeles, a presence in Bloomingdale’s, and features at exhibitions like DJWE and Ataya Abu Dhabi, Toonz continues to bridge continents while staying rooted in personal storytelling. Every piece is envisioned as a miniature sculpture, created not only to adorn, but to hold memories, spark joy, and carry meaning across generations.

Photo provided by Toonz

As Ayesha introduces her latest collection, Maqta, inspired by the beauty of fragments coming together, she welcomes us into the world of Toonz, where she tells us more about Maqta, her design process, the most rewarding part of Toonz’s global expansion, how she envisions the brand evolving, and more.

Photo provided by Toonz

Toonz grew from a personal creative outlet into a global brand. Can you tell us about the moment you realised it could evolve beyond a passion project into a globally recognised fine-jewelry house?

I have always had a passion for jewellery and design. Having been raised in a 3-generation household of jewellers, it is something I took to from a young age. I initially started Toonz as something just for myself — a creative outlet, But from the first Storm piece, I noticed the disbelief in people’s reactions. Everyone who saw it was astonished: “Is that really mother of pearl? How did you even make this?” That sense of wonder made me realise this could be more than just my personal project and something I sought to share with a wider audience, while challenging the technical norms of jewellery.

Photo provided by Toonz

Our first charms started out as icons I had sketched, turned into whimsical sculptures in gold and stone – surreal, playful, yet precious. The shock and joy they sparked made me feel Toonz had something powerful. It wasn’t forced; the brand grew organically. Honestly, I feel like the pieces carried themselves forward — the customisation and breadth of expression they deliver speak and make a statement of their own.

Toonz pieces are described as miniature sculptures. What role does storytelling play in your design process, and how do you ensure each piece holds memory as well as beauty?

For Toonz, storytelling isn’t part of the design process — it is the design process. Every icon begins with a moment, a memory, or a feeling one wishes to capture. When I designed our hot chocolate charm, for example, I thought about childhood winters, cozy nights, shared drinks with loved ones – those universal memories that connect us all.

I always ask myself: What story will this piece carry for someone? Could it remind them of a humour, a place, a loved one, or even their profession? Toonz immortalises those emotions in gold.

As for beauty, we don’t compromise. Each charm is carved from natural stones, layered and tested, crafted by hand with obsessive care. Memory gives it soul; craftsmanship gives it form. Together, they make every Toonz piece a sculpture of meaning.

Photo provided by Toonz

Playfulness is a strong thread in your collections. How do you maintain that spirit of joy while working with elevated materials like gold, diamonds, and enamel?

We actually work almost exclusively with natural stones – all that colour you (except for a small touch in the Micro Maqta collection). That choice itself keeps the magic alive: it’s joyful to carve something so unconventional out of such elevated materials.

The secret is that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Many consultants told me to “tone it down” or make Toonz more like a classic fine-jewelry brand. But Toonz thrives in the fact that it is bold, loud, whimsical – and that’s the joy of it: jewellery that is expressive. Our pieces are meant to spark conversation: “Wait, is that a chili pepper around your neck?” That playful spirit is exactly why people fall in love with Toonz.

From Monaco and Los Angeles debuts to Bloomingdale’s showcases and exhibitions like DJWE and Ataya Abu Dhabi, Toonz has quickly built an international presence. What has been the most rewarding part of this global expansion?

The most rewarding part has been seeing people connect emotionally with Toonz around the world. To me, these pieces are like my babies – little fragments of my mind in physical form. So to see them loved globally, to see them spark the same joy and disbelief everywhere, is surreal.

It’s an honour for which I feel blessed that something that started as such a personal outlet relate to and celebrate. That global embrace is the greatest reward.

Can you share the story behind your latest collection, Maqta, and how the concept came to life?

Maqta is my love letter to the Middle East. Though I’m South African, I grew up in Dubai, and this region has shaped who I am. The word Maqta means “fragments,” and to me it symbolises unity – mismatched puzzle pieces finding a way to fit together despite differences.

The idea literally came to me in a dream. I woke up, sketched the concept, and that sketch became the entire Micro Maqta collection. The collection reminds us that no matter our size, background, or culture, we can always connect.

It’s playful like the puzzles we grew up with, yet profound: a metaphor for how our generation comes together in the face of challenges to create change.

Of Maqta’s four distinct expressions — Signature Gold, Multi Pavé, Multi Enamel, and Full Pavé — which feels most personal to you, and why?

For me, it’s the Multi Pavé. There’s something magical about the contrast — brushed gold puzzle pieces paired with a glimmer of diamonds. It feels like light and shadow, strength and fragility, fitting together.

It’s also the most technically intricate- each puzzle piece is hand-connected, tiny and precise. That craftsmanship makes it deeply personal to me. Multi Pavé embodies everything Toonz stands for: artistry, playfulness, and meaning in every detail.

Of Maqta’s four distinct expressions — Signature Gold, Multi Pavé, Multi Enamel, and Full Pavé — which feels most personal to you, and why?

Passionate, whimsical, and timeless.

Photo provided by Toonz

As you look to the future, how do you envision Toonz evolving? Are there new directions — in design, collaborations, or markets — that excite you most?

Toonz is still so young, but my vision is to grow it into a full jewelry house. We have only just begun!

Design-wise, we’re pushing to cover the full spectrum of icons- from nostalgic to cultural to surreal. Always with the same ethos: immortalizing emotion in gold.

Collaborations excite me endlessly. We’ve already experimented with creative partners and have some fun projects in the works, but my dream is to collaborate with houses like Audemars Piguet to bring that Toonz spirit into unexpected spaces. So if you are seeing this, AP, let’s make it happen!

Geographically, we’d love to expand further into Asia while continuing to push our focus here at home in the Middle East. That’s where the plans are right now.

Above all, Toonz will always evolve by staying true to its heart: bold, playful, sculptural jewelry that carries memory and meaning into the future.