The Day My Daughter Saw My Tifinagh Necklace: Reconciling AZOR and Our Roots

“It’s ugly, Mom. It’s too… traditional.”

This is the comment I heard for years from my 16-year-old daughter, Leïla, whenever I tried to talk to her about our Moroccan roots. She was born abroad, felt French, and anything Moroccan—the food, the music, and especially her grandmother's traditional jewelry —was relegated to the status of "old junk."

I had a dream: to give him my Rose Solitaire ring for his 18th birthday. But I was afraid he'd reject it. How could I offer such a powerful symbol to someone who only saw it as a burden?

My AZOR creations came into my life as an attempt at reconciliation . I, too, had put aside the overly ostentatious jewelry of my youth. AZOR, with its 18-carat gold, modern design, and subtle Berber touches, represented the perfect balance between heritage and contemporary elegance .

My first purchase, the Tifinagh necklace , was a personal favorite. Its delicate patterns are an ancient script, an engraved secret that only the initiated recognize. I wore it every day to the office, a discreet anchor to my roots.

The turning point came one evening. Leïla was studying for her baccalaureate and was getting upset over a version of history. I served her some mint tea (which she usually drinks while grumbling) and she looked up at my neck.

"What's this, Mom?"

She stared at the necklace. It was the first time she had asked me a positive question about something related to our culture.

"It's Tifinagh, the Amazigh alphabet, Leïla. It means 'free woman,'" I replied, my voice full of hope.

She took the pendant in her hand and turned it over. "It's elegant. It doesn't look grandmotherly. It's… stylish, actually."

That simple word— stylish —unlocked years of resistance. We spent an hour talking about the Berbers, about Moroccan history, not through dusty stories, but through a modern piece of jewelry she thought was cool.

Since that day, my AZOR jewelry has become the mediators of our family history.

• She asked me the meaning of the patterns on my Tagldit ring (the "leader's" ring, I told her laughingly).

• She started wearing my Luna anklet in the summer, naturally incorporating it into her skater look.

The peak was reached when she told me: "For my 18th birthday, I would like an AZOR jewel. But one that tells my story." It was a giant step, a bridge across the generation gap.

Today, when I put on my Tifinagh necklace , it is no longer just an act of coquetry. It is a silent affirmation: I am passing on my heritage not through obligation, but through beauty and elegance that my daughter can recognize and make her own.

These jewels aren't just gold. They're cultural bridges that allow us, as expat mothers, to engrave the love of our roots into our children's futures. AZOR has made our heritage desirable, and that is the greatest gift.