Talisman jewelry, a sacred femininity expressed in gold and stones, and a creator, Yasmine Bakkali, with a path as unconventional as it is inspiring… Manoyas, a Parisian fine jewelry house, is now showcasing its pieces in the windows of Mounier & Bouvard in Casablanca and Rabat. An introduction.
Some brands dazzle. Others resonate. Manoyas is among the latter. Founded in Paris in 2023 by Yasmine Bakkali, this spiritual jewelry house cultivates a rare trait: giving beauty a deeper meaning. As for that meaning, the designer spent years searching for , before finally revealing it through gold and gemstones. At first glance, it doesn’t look like she was destined for the world of jewelry. But a closer look reveals her career switch — after twenty-three years in strategic consulting and international finance — makes perfect sense.
A childhood passion
Let’s go back to the 70s. Yasmine is born in Rabat, to a Moroccan father and a Belgian mother. She spends the first eighteen years of her life in the capital. It is her mother who introduces her to jewelry. But this encounter with jewelry making doesn’t start like a fairytale. “As a child, my mother dragged me through the souks and jewelry shops in search of beautiful pieces. I mostly did it reluctantly.” Yet, she began to develop a fascination with the little Fatima hands she collected.
“I had a whole array of them. The shopkeepers gave me lots. They were like dolls at a time when toys were scarce in Morocco. My sister was born six years after me and I didn’t start school until I was five. So, I grew up on my own, inventing stories. Today, you’d say I was a bit of a dreamer,” she laughs. What started as a quiet interest in jewelry turned over time into a deep passion. “For birthdays and Christmas, I only ever asked for jewelry.”
From finance to creation: the path of an awakened soul
In her teenage years, she dives into philosophy and begins to question the symbolism of jewelry. She is drawn to the hidden meanings behind jewelry making and certain iconic pieces, like Cartier’s Love bracelet or Dinh Van’s handcuffs. She dreams of applying to the Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris. Her father’s refusal is absolute. Business school it is. “I built a shell for myself to get through my studies, then to endure a career in cutthroat, male-dominated financial institutions that were anything but compassionate. I actually did quite well.”
But when your soul is constantly mistreated, the armor eventually cracks. Life’s curveballs and a severe burnout became the wake-up call she needed to reevaluate her life choices. “At 46, there were too many signs from the universe pushing me to finally listen to myself.” Her doctors forced her to stop. A year-long break to heal led her to reflect on the meaning of her life. During a career assessment, her childhood dream resurfaced as an obvious next step. She chose to take a different path — to finally listen and bring to life a jewelry house with meaning.
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Jewelry as a path to transformation
Outside traditional industry circuits, Yasmine Bakkali creates Manoyas — a contraction of “les mains de Yasmine” (Yasmine’s hands) — as a tribute to the little hands she used to collect as a child. She builds a world inspired by her triple culture (Belgian, Moroccan, and French), her readings on Eastern philosophies, Buddhism, and her two years in India. “Having lived in different places has nourished me. I’m never on one side or the other.” The result? Jewelry of the soul, poetic and deeply embodied. Each piece is a message. A vibration. A hand extended toward oneself — or toward something greater.
At Manoyas, it’s not just about rings or pendants. It’s about talismans that should be worn daily, like a silent affirmation of who you are or what you’re going through. As the designer puts it: “I tend to cling to little lucky charms that become anchors, embodying my fears. Each piece carries an intention through the stone that adorns it, its color, its shape. You choose your own as a reminder to yourself.” Her creative approach also follows this philosophy: Yasmine Bakkali starts with meaning to find the design that expresses it — just ike the lotus, the brand’s emblem, symbolizing the resilience of a flower that grows in muddy waters.
Yet, the road from dream to reality is still a long one. Yasmine didn’t come from the jewelry world. “When I showed up in workshops with my sketches and my background, people looked at me wide-eyed.” Gradually, she connects with a retired master jeweler in Valence, France, who gives her a shot, impressed by her organization and product vision. He helps her craft her first prototypes. But when she looks for a larger workshop to complete the collection, doors start closing again.
Mounier & Bouvard: a decisive encounter
Like a homecoming, it’s in Morocco — land of artisans and traditions — that things finally move forward. A friend reminds her that jewelry there is also an age-old art. She reaches out to Hugues Renouf at Mounier & Bouvard, a jewelry institution in Morocco. Enthusiastic about her vision, he produces both collections in under two months. This partnership marks a pivotal step in the emergence of her talisman jewelry. Back in France, prototypes in hand, she launches her website in late 2023. Friends and word-of-mouth secure the first sales, followed by a few bespoke orders.
In 2024, for the first time she makes sales to complete strangers. Later that same year, a few pieces are displayed in a vintage boutique on Rue de Richelieu, Paris. But in France, the jewelry world is closed off.. “It’s hard to get listed. There are so many brands. They wait until you’re well known before giving you a chance.” To even dream of being in Parisian department stores, Manoyas must first go through specialized jewelry trade shows.
An asserted orientalism
At the same time, Yasmine decides to fully embrace her oriental touch. “In France, someone told me that one of my collections was ‘a bit ethnic’, while I find it very stylized. So I chose to own that label and move forward with Morocco and the Middle East, where the brand is very well received.” After a trade show in the Middle East, Manoyas was recently approached by Dubai concept store Poison Drop, where it will soon be available. In July and September, it will also be featured in two Paris jewelry fairs: ‘Precious Room’ and ‘Brilliant’,ith hopes of later reaching boutiques.
Today, Manoyas enters the very exclusive circle of brands represented by Mounier & Bouvard. The young brand’s creations are now on display in their three flagship boutiques: Morocco Mall and Maârif in Casablanca, and Méga Mall in Rabat. To celebrate this milestone, Manoyas hosted an event for its clients, muses, and partners on Tuesday, June 17th at Esthécare Casablanca. Organized by Shoelifer, the evening was themed around creation, transformation, and transmission. Manoyas unveiled its two collections, Les ManoYas and ÉponYme. A moment in the brand’s image: sincere, feminine, soulful, and an inspiring exchange about inner creativity and paths to reinvention.
Vibrant and embodied collections
The house’s two collections, Les ManoYas and ÉponYme, reflect Yasmine Bakkali’s vision. The first, directly inspired by the stylized Hand of Fatima, comes in five models (Balance, Serenity, Intuition, Strength, Sensuality), made of 18-carat recycled gold. Each piece is conceived as a constant reminder of a mindset — a living mantra: “Mantras, those sacred words that resonate within us, are much more than mere repetition. They act as constant reminders of our deepest intentions and awaken a positive energy within.”
Another signature line: the ÉponYme collection, built around the lotus, a universal symbol of rebirth. The designer explains it poetically: “Like the lotus emerging from water, it symbolizes the ability to renew oneself and reveal inner beauty despite obstacles.” Here, talisman jewelry combines gold with noble materials — blue ceramic, and fine stones like amethyst, topaz or citrine — each carrying a unique meaning.
A meaning Yasmine Bakkali long sought in numbers, performance, or internal dissonance — and ultimately found in jewelry. “I’m the product of things that don’t go together, of conflicting worlds. It’s in these small objects that I materialized my desire for peace.” Far from the surface glamour often associated with traditional jewelry, Manoyas isn’t just a brand. It’s a reconciliation.
Manoyas, at Mounier & Bouvard
29 rue Brahim Nakhai, Maârif, Casablanca
Morocco Mall, Casablanca
Méga Mall, Rabat
Photo (c) : Yasmine Bakkali
