Brand Story

Established in 1959, SABONA of London - French nobleman Vicomte Jacques d'Orthez and his wife, contemporary actress Moira Leister, discovered medical evidence that copper was not just an ornament but a metal that was beneficial to health during their frequent trips to Africa, a company was established to produce bracelets made of high-purity copper from South Africa after World War II.

The origin of the SABONA brand name is “Sawubona! (I see you),” a greeting from the indigenous African Zulu people, which means “God in me sees the God in you.”

History

Vicomte Jacques d’Orthez (Founder)

A French aristocrat and an actress couple discovered during their trip to Africa that local copper jewelry was not only purely decorative but also had anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties due to copper minerals, and established the first pure copper bracelet brand in London, England. (1959)

 

David Morris DESIGNER (London Jeweller)

The basic designs of the SABONA bangle - Plain, Classic, Olympia, Regency, Tudor, and Windsor - were designed by David Morris, a leading jewelry designer in London and famous in Hollywood for the diamond design of the 007 series 'Diamonds are forever'.

 

Detmar Albert Hackman (CEO)

Detmar Hackman, a marketer who graduated from Oxford University, has served as the second CEO since the 1970s, and through exchanges with the British royal family, collaboration with Cartier in New York, and PGA golfer sponsorship, he has expanded the SABONA bracelet beyond Europe to the Americas, Asia, and other global markets. We expanded it into a brand.

SABONA's copper bangle bracelet with a simple yet original concept received immediate attention after its launch, and based on its popularity among the British upper class, including the British Imperial Family, Prime Minister Thatcher, and the Duke of Windsor, it expanded beyond Europe and into the American market. Since then, it has grown into a global brand sold in more than 30 countries, being chosen by icons of all time such as Pierre Cardin, Coco Chanel, Michael Caine, Roger Moore, and Johnny Depp.

As of 2021, SABONA signature copper bangles have sold more than 12 million units.

 

Legacy of SABONA

 

Royalty
Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Duke Philip
Queen Elizabeth and her husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, long-time users of SABONA bracelets / 1996

Iconic Figures
Prime Minister Thatcher and her husband, Dennis Thatcher
SABONA bracelets are also shining on the wrists of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her husband, Dennis Thatcher.

 

Actors & Actresses
David Niven, Michael Caine, Robert Wagner, Elizabeth Taylor, Roser Moore

Sports Stars
Ian Botham, David Ginola, Susan Hampshire O.B.E. , Sir Garfield Sobers, Ian Wright

Professional Golfers
Seve Ballesteros, John Daly, Helen Alfredsson, Justin Leonard, Lindsay Davenport

Journalists, Musicians
Dizzy Gillespie, Prince Rainer of Monaco, Norman Mailer, HRH Duke of Windsor, Paul Getty

 

In the 1970s, SABONA went global by expanding beyond Europe and entering the American market. It opened stores in famous department stores in New York such as Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue, and lay the foundation for becoming a global brand by releasing limited edition bangle bracelets through collaboration with Cartier New York.

 

US Vogue News
This is the article introduced in Vogue US magazine in 1978.

"In England, France, Italy and increasing in the U.S., the fad for the Sabona bracelet keeps rolling along; wearers believe firmly that the copper's thermal properties keep dampness from causing aches, pains and twinges. Among the more celebrated wearers are the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Leland Hayward, Lauren Bacall, the Marquess of Bath, Coco Chanel, Baronne Guy de Rothschild, Stavros Niarchos, Princess Domietta Hercolani, Pierre Cardin……the list is endless."

Trust in SABONA copper bangles can be found in the natural characteristics of copper. Cu (copper), like iron and calcium, is one of the essential minerals involved in the human body's metabolism. In Europe and the Americas, copper bracelets have been worn for a long time to supplement missing copper minerals through skin absorption. It has been used as a means. Copper is known as a metal with strong sterilizing and antibacterial properties and is virtually non-toxic to the human body. In addition, copper's high electrical conductivity allows electric charges to flow throughout the body at all times, showing a significant effect of blocking static electricity and also having the effect of blocking electromagnetic waves.