Alexander Chamovskikh is the founder and owner of the CHAMOVSKIKH Jewelry House and Chairman of the Ural Jewelers Guild.
He founded a jewelry company in 1996 in Yekaterinburg and it ranks in the top 10 among jewelry brands in Russia according to the RosYuvelirExpert information-and-analytical agency, the Russian Jewelry Trade club, and Junwex.
Alexander Chamovskikh is a developer and a patent holder for a number of jewelry technologies and mechanisms.
He has built Russia’s largest asset of unique precious stones and collectible gemstones.
Alexander Chamovskikh gained professional and government-issued awards, including the award ‘For Diligence and Art’ from the Russian Ministry of Finance.
In 2025, CHAMOVSKIKH Jewelry House displayed the achievements of the Russian jewelry industry at the Moscow Financial Forum and the INNOPROM international exhibition; in 2024, the jewelry house took part in the China-Russia EXPO in Harbin, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and other national and global events.
Today, CHAMOVSKIKH is a premium jewelry brand with its own high-tech full-cycle production facility. The jewelry house includes a design studio, an innovative technology laboratory, a production line to manufacture premium souvenirs and diplomatic gifts, as well as branded boutiques in Yekaterinburg and Moscow.
Alexander Chamovskikh spoke to Rough&Polished about what is required to build a brand, as well as about the jewelry market and the activities of the Ural Jewelers Guild, which he heads.
How did you come into the jewelry industry?
It happened 30 years ago. After receiving a diploma in economics, I started my own business, and after a few years, I focused on jewelry art. It all started when I was going to propose to my fiancée and was looking for a superb diamond platinum ring. It was impossible to buy such a jewelry piece in jewelry stores in the 1990s. Then I turned for help to a jeweler I knew who created a custom-made diamond platinum ring. He was the first to tell me that I should go into jewelry production. And so it happened. I saw the shortage - or rather, a complete lack - of premium jewelry in the country, despite Russia’s rich jewelry traditions that were lost after the 1917 Revolution. To change the situation, I decided to set up and build a state-of-the-art high-tech full-cycle production facility. All this wasn’t just a matter of chance, as it might seem. In Yekaterinburg, where I was born, live, and work, a love of rare gemstones and jewelry is genetically inherited. Here, people know how to embrace true traditions and develop them further, to revive Russia’s high jewelry art.
What primarily distinguishes your company from other Ural, Russian, and global jewelry companies?
It so happens that all jewelry companies in the Ural area are different and operate in their own niches. We complement each other because each jeweler has its own identity, style, and design. Most importantly, we compete not with each other but with the global market. Our goal is to show domestic consumers that Russian-origin jewelry items are of high-quality, versatile and feature interesting designs. At the same time, we must enter the international markets.
Your company will mark its 30th anniversary next year. Has everything worked out as you anticipated?
Twenty or ten years ago, we didn’t make long-term plans due to historical circumstances - the unforeseen situations, including financial crises, the COVID pandemic, the political events in the Crimea, and so on. But, of course, we have a company development plan, both at the federal and international levels, although it constantly changes due to ongoing real events. Overall, we believe we are developing dynamically and delivering good results.
What are you most proud of?
We are proud to implement cultural and historical projects glorifying our country. For example, in 2024, our jewelers recreated a legacy treasure - an aquamarine brooch, a wedding gift made by Emperor Nicholas II to the future Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. This initiative was timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the royal couple’s wedding. We are pleased that historical justice was put straight, and the today’s interpretation of the original jewelry piece smuggled out of the country has been given to Russia’s Gokhran (State Precious Metals and Gems Repository). Another unique project is the Peterhof jewelry collection unparalleled in its scale, conceptuality, and superb craftsmanship. The collection is now part of the permanent exhibition at the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve.
How important is the brand? What is needed to create a brand?
Creating a brand is a very complex, capital-intensive, and time-consuming process. It requires constant work on its promotion, but most importantly, on improving the quality of jewelry items and service. This means significant investments in recruiting, production and post-production, marketing, and PR. Collaboration has a huge effect on promotion.
What is the most important thing for building a brand?
Ultimately, the most important thing for a brand is its reputation, an honest - genuine - and high-quality jewelry.
What methods and technologies do you use for the brand promotion?
We use all known promotional tools, but the most important thing, I repeat, is the work within the company to improve the jewelry items and service. CHAMOVSKIKH jewelry pieces are quite costly. We give the information to our customers about the underlying costs. People need to understand that they are not overpaying when making a jewelry purchase.
A couple of years ago, you said that the economic crisis and the overall global situation were beneficial to Russia’s jewelry market. Is this true? Has anything changed - for the better or for the worse?
Many brands have left Russia, and indeed, the resulting jewelry shortage has contributed to the overall development of the jewelry industry in the country. According to statistics, jewelry turnover has shown a 25.6% growth in rubles over the past year. Clearly, this was also driven by the skyrocketing of gold prices to record highs, but overall, the demand for jewelry was very strong. The market situation has stabilized somewhat by now, and the ‘hot’ season has subsided. We believe this is due to the high benchmark interest rate and high-yield savings accounts. People are actually postponing purchases to earn money on deposits. Business is ‘cooling’ across many industries, not just in the jewelry one. However, we are confident that after the benchmark interest rate is lowered, the jewelry market will pick up again and there will be more business activities.
What are your responsibilities as the Chairman of the Ural Jewelers Guild?
The Ural Jewelers Guild jointly with the Russian Jewelers Guild holds discussions with the Ministry of Finance, the Assay Chamber, and other government agencies on systematizing and improving the rules for conducting the jewelry business. This doesn’t necessarily change the Russian legislation, but many processes are improved through the dialogue. We directly participate in the discussion on various issues and put forward our proposals.
For example, as the Ural Jewelers Guild, we interact with local governments and the Ural Assay Chamber. My goal is to ensure that all members of the Ural Jewelers Guild feel comfortable in the market, to reduce competition and maximize the effect of conquering the Russian market and subsequently expanding globally, because only working jointly, we can compete in the international market with its foreign well-known brands having a long history.
What are the Guild’s current immediate goals and objectives? What are the main challenges facing the Russian jewelry industry, and how are they being addressed?
I recently had a Zoom meeting with the Russian Jewelers Guild to discuss an important issue - exporting jewelry items into the global market. Currently, there are a number of barriers to efficient participation in international jewelry exhibitions, so it’s essential to optimize customs relations. The customs duties on the United Arab Emirates’ jewelry imports into Russia have been abolished. This resulted in our lower competitiveness, as the precious stones and consumables we purchase with duties are imported duty-free from the UAE and yield a higher price. We are currently striving to be at least on equal terms with the Arab countries, so we are working to abolish duties on materials, components, and equipment imported into Russia.
What are your forecasts for the prospects of the Russian and global jewelry markets?
The jewelry industry and jewelry art itself are very conservative. They are based on a centuries-old love of precious stones and metals, culture, and traditions. Jewelry business is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and resourceful as we create jewelry items that evoke positive emotions, remind people of important and milestone events, and help preserve and grow wealth. All these efforts ensure the jewelry industry’s continued growth. We see positive momentum, and I’m confident this trend will continue.
Galina Semyonova, Editor in Chief of the Russian Bureau, Rough&Polished
