For Baileigh Daoud-Soricelli, the jewelry business is both. As a fifth-generation jeweler and managing partner at Daoud’s Fine Jewelry, she is helping carry a 131-year-old family legacy into its next chapter and now, that work is being recognized on a national stage.
Jewelers of America has named Daoud-Soricelli to its 2026 20 Under 40 list, an annual program recognizing young professionals making their mark on the fine jewelry industry. This year’s class brings together 40 rising talents from across the country, representing both the retail and supplier sides of the business.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized among such a talented and forward-thinking group of professionals,” she says. “I’m grateful to the Jewelers of America for this acknowledgment and to be part of an industry that values creativity, ethics, and innovation.”
However her work is anything but confined to a title. She leads sales and marketing while working directly with clients searching for everything from rare diamonds and estate jewelry to luxury timepieces. In an industry where a purchase can mark a milestone, commemorate a relationship or become a family heirloom, Daoud-Soricelli has developed an approach centered on something less tangible: trust.
That philosophy comes naturally. Daoud’s Fine Jewelry has been part of South Florida’s jewelry landscape for more than a century, building its reputation through generations of personal relationships and old-fashioned expertise.
But while the family name may be engraved in the industry’s history, Daoud-Soricelli is looking ahead.
Her role encompasses the business’s sales and marketing, but also the more personal side of jewelry, helping clients navigate significant purchases and sales with discretion and confidence. Her eye for diamonds, estate pieces and watches is matched by an understanding that the most valuable part of a jewelry transaction often isn’t the piece itself, but the reason someone is buying it.
That combination of tradition and a forward-looking approach caught the attention of Jewelers of America’s selection panel. Honorees were chosen based on professional accomplishments, leadership, innovation, community involvement and commitment to the organization’s ethical standards.
Her connection to the organization runs even deeper through Daoud’s membership in Jewelers of America’s 100 Club, which recognizes jewelry businesses that have operated continuously for more than a century. With just 144 members nationwide, the distinction is a rare nod to the staying power of family-owned jewelers.
For Daoud-Soricelli, that longevity isn’t simply something to celebrate. It is something to protect—and to build upon.
After 131 years, the Daoud name has already seen its share of changes in jewelry, retail and Fort Lauderdale itself. Now, with a new generation at the helm, the family business is adding another milestone to its history.
