In a wide-ranging discussion at the Israel Summit with Maayan Hoffman, Deputy CEO – Strategy & Innovation for The Jerusalem Post, Tali Shalem-Taub, CEO of Holy Gems, and Steve Wearp, founder of Blessed Buy Israel, discussed the unique appeal of their products, which come from the land of Israel.
According to the Bible, precious gems can be found in the land of Israel. Shalem-Taub recounted how many years ago, her late father Avi Taub, followed the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who said that gems were to be found in the land of Israel.
Today, Holy Gems is the only certified miner and marketer of precious gems mined in Israel and operates under official government license and permit.
The company sells unique blue and green sapphires, burgundy and red garnets, black spinel stones inlaid in spiritual, sophisticated pieces, and its most unusual discovery, the Carmel-Sapphire, a new gem in the market, which is found only in Israel (Holy Gems products are now available at a special discount for Jerusalem Post readers. Use HOLY-JP when ordering for a 20% discount).
Shalem-Taub said that while the war and the accompanying loss of tourism led to the closing of their physical stores, the Holy Gems online store continues to generate substantial revenue. “People still want to buy these gems,” she said. However, Tali pointed out that although the mining project started over 20 years ago, the retail brand is at the beginning of its journey, and as such, relies on investors for development purposes, who in view of the uncertainty in Israel are less inclined to invest than in the past.
One of Holy Gems’ most popular product lines is the result of a collaboration with renowned Israeli designer Aviad Arik Herman on the “Star of David” line of jewelry. While the collection was designed before the war, Shalem-Taub says that today, “It fits perfectly with the state of mind of the public. Everybody wants to wear something with the Jewish and Israeli symbol in order to connect.”
She adds that the current rise in antisemitism has not diminished the interest in gems from the land of Israel. “On the contrary, from the beginning, we were focusing mainly on our target audience of people who had some kind of emotional connection to this land. Now, even more than ever, they want to support Israel, and they want to wear a piece of precious space of the Holy Land.”
Products from the Biblical Heartland
Blessed Buy Israel offers the products of the land of Israel delivered straight to your home from a wide selection, including wine, olive oil, honey, spices, and local artifacts such as jewelry, ceramics, lotions, and perfumes.
Take Israel home with the products from the Biblical Heartland. Shop now >>
Wearp and his family founded the company in response to the European Union rules in 2015 that prohibited products made in Judea and Samaria from being labeled ‘Made in Israel.’ In response, Wearp traveled to Israel in early 2016, met with the owners of small businesses in Judea and Samaria, and began offering a wide variety of products from the area, including olive oil, soap, ceramics, food, and much more. “We believe that Christians around the world and others – the Jewish communities – should be investing in the people in the land,” Wearp says.
Because the war has caused labor shortages and affected small businesses’ ability to produce products, his family have stepped in and are packing and labeling products. “It’s an incredible time of building relationships much deeper than just business relationships,” he adds.
Blessed Buy Israel is fighting on behalf of Israel to restore the land and help the Jewish people take possession of their inheritance, says Wearp. “Come and invest in the land. Come and invest in the people. Be part of this great work. We should not be sitting on the sidelines, just praying for Jerusalem. We should be engaged for Jerusalem, for Israel, and truly it’s for the whole world.”