Millennial Jewelers to Know: ANTY
This interview appeared in an article on Millennial Jewelers in Volume 24, Issue 3 of Gem-A’s Gems & Jewellery Magazine. Across studios from New York to Geneva, a new guard of millennial designers is reshaping fine jewellery with intention at its core. Groundbreaking jewellers are part of a generation that was born roughly between 1981–1996 and are known to prioritise real-life experiences; ethical, sustainable consumption, and self-expression. These attitudes are shaping the jewellery industry of the future. Members of the trade and customers alike prize resonance over spectacle, story over trend and craftsmanship that is meant to be worn. In their hands, gold becomes language, stones become memory and technology is a tool in service of touch.
The feature brought together eight distinct voices, whose work spans sound and science, antiquity and imagination, architectural restraint, colour and connection, heritage and modern grace. Each designer invites us to see jewellery not only as adornment, but as a way to mark who we are and how we move through the world. Meet…
ANTY: EGYPTIAN SYMBOLS MEET MODERN GRACE
Amany Afify, Principal Founder and CEO
Instagram: @anty.co
As the founder and CEO of ANTY, Amany Afify creates pieces that speak to both her Egyptian heritage and her modern sensibility. “Jewellery has fascinated me since I was young,” she remembered. “It’s not just an accessory, but something that transforms with the person wearing it.” Ms Afify’s journey to jewellery began not in a studio, but in the stillness of reflection. “When I moved to the U.S., I realised that the styles I connected with most weren’t easily found here,” she recalled. “Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I finally had the time and clarity to pursue what had always been my true passion.” With that clarity came ANTY, a brand that weaves symbolism, strength and refinement into jewellery designed to tell deeply personal stories.
Who or what are some of your biggest creative influences?
I’m deeply inspired by women: their strength, softness and the way they express individuality through jewellery. Growing up in Egypt, I was surrounded by rich symbolism, history and craftsmanship; this continues to influence my sense of form and storytelling. My design philosophy is rooted in balance—between boldness and simplicity, heritage and modernity, art and emotion. Every piece I create is meant to feel personal, expressive and timeless.
Describe a new collection, or collection, you’re working on and the story behind it.
We are launching a new 925 silver collection with diamonds and coloured stones, inspired by the cycles of day and night. Designed to be versatile, trendy and stackable, the pieces will debut for the end-of-year season.
Which of your designs has a particularly meaningful story for you?
One of the most meaningful collections I have designed is Pharaoh’s Grace, which I created in collaboration with designer Heidi Bastamy. The collection draws inspiration from ancient Egyptian symbols, like the lotus flower, which represents rebirth. At the time we designed it, I was experiencing my own personal and professional rebirth; after years working in economics, I finally discovered my true passion for jewellery. Every piece in this collection reflects that journey of transformation, resilience and embracing what truly inspires me.
How do you see the role of jewellery evolving for your generation, adornment, investment, self-expression or all of the above?
For my generation, jewellery is evolving into a personal archive of versatile, meaningful pieces that mark milestones, reflect identity and move seamlessly through everyday life. Jewellery is no longer just for adornment or investment. Rather, itis wearable storytelling that blends beauty, memory and lasting value.
Through ANTY, Amany Afify has created a bridge between worlds. Her designs transform the sacred symbols of her heritage into heirlooms, pieces that feel at once ancient and new. “Jewelry,” she said, “is about rebirth—of ideas, of self, of beauty. It carries our past but points toward our future.” In her hands, every creation becomes a reflection of that truth: that we are all, like her jewels, works in progress: shaped by time, refined by experience and illuminated by purpose.
Each of the millennial designers spotlighted here have a thoughtful and successful practice. Taken together, these designers chart a shared philosophy that jewellery should carry meaning, remain timeless and feel as considered as the lives it accompanies. Their work combines rigorous craft with clear values as they invite transparency into the process and open space for personal narrative. The next chapter of the jewellery trade belongs to makers who are defining it through the principles of the millennial generation: who give primacy to materials while honouring memory and the people who will wear their work every day.