How Family, War, & Heritage Shaped This Australian Fine Jewellery Brand
The gold standard
Rooted in their Middle Eastern heritage and a lifelong family connection to jewellery, Mary and Ernest Salib, founders of Sydney-based fine jewellery brand David Ramzy, have crafted a collection that celebrates craftsmanship, legacy, and real gold. Having launched in 2023, their pieces are designed to be cherished and passed down through generations.
We sat down with Mary and Ernest to learn more about their family histories, the inspiration behind their designs, and the story of how David Ramzy came to be.
Can you both tell me about yourselves and your backgrounds?
Mary: I’m the eldest daughter of immigrant parents – I usually start here because I think it’s really shaped a lot of who I am today. Both my parents were born and raised in the Middle East. My dad fled conscription in Syria when he was a young man. He and his family crossed the border to Lebanon to avoid the war in Syria in the mid-1970s, only to end up having to fight in the Lebanese Civil War. It was a long journey to flee the Middle East, but my parents eventually landed in Sydney, Australia, in the early 1990s.
We had a very traditional upbringing in the suburbs of Sydney. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I truly felt that growing up – we didn’t have much but we were always surrounded by family, and we had very strong family ties and traditions.
Ernest: I’m the third of four sons in my family. My dad, Rafik, is from Cairo, Egypt, and my mum, Salwa, was born in Congo. Growing up in suburban Cairo, my dad experienced extreme highs and lows. At the age of seven, he remembers soldiers coming to his family home to ask everyone to live by candlelight as the British and French air forces had bombed the country, and Israeli forces stormed over the Sinai during the Suez Crisis. At eighteen, he watched as part of the country was occupied (in 1967). He came to Australia by himself in June 1973, leaving behind his three sisters and his mother.
My mum’s father served in the Second World War. He was on assignment with the family in the Congo when the country erupted in civil war. The family almost didn’t make it out. Thankfully, coming to Australia was the best thing they did. Growing up in Western Sydney in an immigrant family, I would say you tend to have a stiff upper lip. I learned from my dad that there is no substitute for hard work, and my mum was always my biggest cheerleader.
How did you two meet?
Mary: We actually met on Hinge at the end of 2022. Our first date was at Una Mas in Coogee (Ernest planned it out to perfection), and you could say it was love at first sight. I was in my late 20s at the time and Ernest was in his early 30s – I think being at that age and having experienced all the things we didn’t want in a relationship, we very quickly knew that this was it for us.
When did the idea for David Ramzy come about?
Mary: I first had the idea for David Ramzy in early 2022, before I’d even met Ernest. I loved fine jewellery — I loved that it’s an investment, that real gold holds its value and appreciates; I loved that every piece I bought felt like it became part of my identity. The idea first took shape because I felt the fine jewellery space was outdated. Every brand seemed to do the same thing and sell the same pieces. In contrast, fashion felt worlds ahead; the designers I admired created entire universes, inviting you into them to experience a slice you could take home. So that was the genesis of David Ramzy.
When I met Ernest on our first date at Una Mas, I remember thinking, I’ll either never see this guy again or I’ll end up marrying him, so I may as well tell him all my dreams. So I told him about the idea. He loved it, but we didn’t do anything with it for at least six months. About half a year into dating, we finally decided to bring it to life. We launched in December 2023. Ultimately, we’ve built David Ramzy on the foundation of a life well lived.
Tell me about David Ramzy. What makes the brand special?
Mary: Our focus on designing and crafting real fine jewellery pieces for the everyday woman at accessible price points – pieces that make her feel empowered and are a reflection of who she is. Life is to be celebrated and the biggest milestones are definitely to be celebrated. For a lot of men, marking that milestone usually comes in the form of a watch – a Rolex, an Omega, something special. For a woman, that milestone ought to be marked in what is rare and intrinsically valuable – solid gold jewellery. And we hope to do that through the world we create for that woman. We put a lot of work into our designs to get the gold weight just right and select the right stones for each piece, so that we can service a woman who can feel every day that she is living an amazing life.
How does your Middle Eastern heritage inform the way you approach the brand?
Mary: Our Middle Eastern heritage informed a lot about our approach to David Ramzy. Gold jewellery is somewhat of a cornerstone of Middle Eastern culture because it’s seen to have significant investment value as a store of wealth and an appreciating asset. My grandmother’s form of saving was buying gold jewellery. Whenever she had spare cash, she would make her way to the jewellery district and buy some gold pieces. And it paid off. One time, my grandfather needed major surgery, and, of course, there is no public health system in Syria, so my grandmother sold one of her gold bracelets that contained 88 grams of gold and paid for the surgery that way.
My grandmother’s gold also saved my grandparents. They were still living in Syria when the current war broke out and by the early-mid 2010s, they knew they really needed to leave. They’d held on for years before deciding they had to leave because they knew the second they left, they’d likely never see their homeland again. And it was my grandmother’s gold jewellery that funded their escape from Syria. So jewellery really holds a special place in my heart. And I hope to be able to impart that same feeling on everyone who walks through our (virtual) doors.
Ernest: From time to time growing up, we went back to Egypt for holidays. On one of these trips, when I was 16, I was walking with my mum and came across a jewellery store. In the shop window was the most ornate set – earrings, a necklace (more like a chestplate), and a matching tiara. This was my first experience with fine jewellery. My mother said, “This is what men buy their fiancées before marriage – they dress them head to toe in gold.” After that moment, I learnt the tastes and styles of jewellery. This is a tradition I kept with Mary; at a Middle Eastern engagement party, the groom always gifts his bride gold.
What inspires your creations?
We draw inspiration from so many places. People in our lives are a big inspiration – like my grandmother. We also travel frequently, so we definitely draw inspiration from lots of the places we go. Our key focus when designing is to ensure our pieces are timeless because our intent is for them to stay with our clients for decades and eventually be passed down. So we also draw a lot of inspiration from vintage pieces because they’ve stood the test of time.
On the hunt for timeless fine jewellery? Find our top picks from David Ramzy below.
