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Step into the beautiful world of Marizabel Piazon, founder of the luxury jewelry brand Bel Piazon, in LH’s The Women of …. A series dedicated to sharing the stories of women behind brands they have dreamt of, founded, and built. These are the women who bring companies to life—women who are living, working, creating, inspiring, raising families, and more. Join us as we delve into the minds and worlds of these women to share their empowering and uplifting thoughts and stories. Up now, the fabulous Bel Piazon.

Based in London, Bel Piazon jewelry blends the founder’s South American nature with classic European style. After two decades as a lawyer, Marizabel embraced her love and admiration for jewelry and gems when her family relocated to the UK.

Her insight and skill in jewelry curation, along with strategic networking and collaboration, helped her grow the business into a dynamic and modern jewelry house. Following renowned designers and industry leaders around the world, Bel Piazon seeks to match customers with personalized collections that suit their lifestyles and tastes.

Marizabel Piazon shared with us her experience learning and growing alongside her company. Read on to discover her unique journey, including challenges overcome, motivations inspired, and achievements, both personal and professional.

Meet Marizabel Piazon, Founder & Director of Bel Piazon

When did your love affair with jewelry begin? And how did it make you feel?

I was always attracted to the beauty of precious gems, not only because of their geological characteristics—their sparkles and explosions of colors—but also because of their significance throughout history. It was only when I started getting involved with the design and creative process that I fully understood the potential of this magical universe of jewelry—creating art by combining nature’s gifts and human craftsmanship.

Tell us a bit about your path and what led to your decision to start Bel Piazon.

I worked as a lawyer in Brazil for 20 years, and my life took a big turn when my family decided to move to the UK in the early 2000s. Based in London, the most international city of all, I started researching jewelry history and design. I began to understand better the fascination these precious materials inspire in people. 

I also had the opportunity to travel around Europe looking for suppliers, deepening my understanding of the jewelry market and making friends within the industry. Since then, I’ve been building connections with fantastic designers and setting up partnerships that allow my curatorship to offer world-class pieces.

Do you recall any critical turning point when you realized your business was succeeding?

Since the beginning of my journey as a jewelry curator, I have had the support of industry members. Renowned jewelers with years of experience who believed in my potential and decided to invest in my success. Such support was paramount in giving me the confidence to start my own business.

The turning point, when I realized my business was succeeding, happened when established brands started contacting us to offer collaborations. At that moment, I realized we had carved a very specific niche, with our commercial platform respected by both customers and industry partners.

What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?

Entrepreneurship takes a lot of energy and commitment, mainly when the professional activity you choose is completely different from your academic background. Perhaps my greatest achievement was believing in my dream, investing in it, and persevering against all the odds to create a business that is now present on three continents.

Opening our London showroom was a manifestation of the hard work my team and I put into the business. I am very proud of it. We consider the future bright in the jewelry industry and look forward to continued success and achieving our new goals.

Who/what has contributed most to your success? 

The support from my family and friends has been crucial to the success of my business. Everyone has been willing to help where they can, whether that is by lending a sympathetic ear after a hard day or by introducing me to potential new clients. I really couldn’t have achieved what I have today without the love and support of my family and friends.

What surprised you most about growing a business?

To be honest, my determination and stamina have surprised my family and even myself. Even with a professional team around me, growing a business requires hard work and long hours. I thought I knew what it was to work hard before starting Bel Piazon; I had no idea!

Tell us about your most demanding client. What was the experience, and what did you learn from it?

I adore my clients and, therefore, always try my best to deliver according to their expectations. Having the right infrastructure also helps, and we constantly invest in training, systems, and quality control. We want to make sure that we are offering the best products and services to our clients. People notice how much care we put into everything we do.

How do you handle negative feedback or criticism of your work?

When it comes to my business, I try not to take criticism personally. The few times I have had to deal with different opinions, I took it well, as without criticism, you cannot grow. It is important to listen carefully to all feedback. Then, one should only act after a proper assessment, making sure that the best solution is swiftly implemented.

To be successful in this highly competitive market, you need to be adaptable.

If you could have done something different, what would it be?

I find this question difficult to answer as mistakes are an essential part of the learning process. I consider myself to be learning and evolving daily. To be successful in this highly competitive market, you need to be adaptable.

What helps you move forward with your business despite the inevitable struggles?

The feeling that we are creating a solid business, paying taxes, generating jobs, sponsoring new talents, and contributing to society as a whole is highly motivating. The fact that we can achieve all of this while operating within an industry I am passionate about gives me great joy.

Who is Marizabel Piazon, The Woman of Bel Piazon?

A dreamer, an optimist, a woman who believes in people. Obsessed with excellence and someone who loves her work. Loves to always be busy, connecting with creative and inspiring people. I’m driven by new challenges, and to give up is not in my vocabulary!

When women invest in other women, we all rise together. Do you have any specific thoughts you would like to share about the women on your team?

I am infinitely more productive when working with a team, and I simply love to support and develop the talent around me. Female vision, intuition, and sensibility are paramount in my work. Women usually see ahead and anticipate challenges and solutions, and that works to our advantage—a powerful differential that, when combined with professionalism and talent, makes us unbeatable.

Jewellery is a work of art and must be treated as such!

What pieces of advice would you give to someone starting their career in jewelry?

Never stop admiring the art and magic behind each piece. Jewellery is a work of art and must be treated as such!

Jewellery serves to mark special moments, and often pieces are passed from one generation to the next. Understand your customers’ lifestyles so you can suggest a piece that will become part of your customers’ most cherished moments.

Do you have any mottos you like to live by? Or favorite empowering quotes?

As a young girl, I read a phrase that said, “Life is given to us for great things!” Questioning what these great things would be was a constant in my life and a source of motivation. Still young, I believed these great things would be great professional and personal achievements or a feat so grand and important that they could change the world.

Over time, I understood that these great things in life are also, above all, the relationships we build, the experiences we live, the emotions we provoke, and the love we share. It is when you touch a soul or a heart, or impact or transform someone’s life positively, that “the great thing of life” happens.

We only accomplish great things through love, be it for our family, our career, our friends, for animals, for science, for art, and for the planet. I learned that to accomplish great things, it is necessary to have courage, to be strong, to persevere, and above all, to believe that we are deserving. That we are deserving of love, of affection, of success. The first step towards a great achievement is to dream, the second is to accomplish, and the third and most important is to share!

What’s next for Marizabel and Bel Piazon?

We are working on a couple of exciting projects for Bel Piazon London, including an exciting calendar of events for 2024 and a potential expansion of our showroom. We expect to offer our clients more substantial content and relevant experiences by collaborating with new talents in design and the arts in general. Always focused on sustainability, integrity, and commitment to excellence.

Now, as an individual, I have high hopes for 2025 and am focused on getting to the last day of the year with a sense of accomplishment for my team and me.

Explore more by Marizabel Piazon and Bel Piazon

Introduction & Curation by Anna Beck, Copyediting by Bridget Kitson
All Photos Courtesy of Bel Piazon

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