Qatar continues to be an important market in the region for Robert Wan’s “Pearls from Tahiti” as this precious gem is deeply-rooted to the country’s rich heritage, the brand's deputy general manager Wafa Habbar has said.
“Qataris are very keen with our pearl collection, they always want to see what we are bringing and they always come back every year,” she told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the 17th edition of Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, which will conclude Saturday at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Robert Wan is a market leader in the world for the most luxurious and beautifully-crafted Tahitian pearls.
Habbar noted that Qataris are “very sensitive and emotional toward the pearl” since the country’s economy relied so much with pearls and pearl diving, and has been at the epicenter of the pearl trade for more than 7,000 years.
It is learnt that the story of pearls and pearl harvesting is embedded in the history of Qatar, dating before the discovery of oil and gas.
“Pearl is a very niche market it is not everybody in the world who understands (it) like or interested to buy this gem, which is expensive,” Habbar said. “It is costly because it requires a lot of maintenance. We need specialists and artisans to do this, which has been going on from generation to generation.”
Robert Wan, she added, has been present in the region for many years and in 2007, collaborated with the Qatar government (Qatar Foundation and Qatar Luxury Group), to develop the Qatar Pearl Legacy farm in the country. The initiative aims to revive and put a spotlight on Qatar’s pearl and pearl harvesting.
Habbar said they harvested twice and produced masterpiece necklace sets and some small jewellery “to be able to offer it to everyone, something from the pearl.”
People in the region, especially Qataris, are very interested with pearls, not only because of its close link with their history but also with its elegance and colour, she added.
“With pearl, you cannot do much in terms of design so we don’t like too much creation, we want to make sure the pearl is really standing so we use very simple design to make sure the pearl is visible,” Habbar said.
Some of Robert Wan’s collections showcased at DJWE 2020 include Zoja, inspired by the essence of the modern woman, which is in collaboration with international designer Zoja Mihic; Akila, a contemporary and modern collection fashionable by its simplicity combining Tahitian pearls and 18K gold; Muse, described as exotic and wild, presents glowing mother-of-Pearl and elegant white diamonds, alongside “the timeless look of Tahitian pearls”; and Ariake (“bright light”) showcases an ancestral savoir-faire from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Maki-e.
Some of Robert Wan's collections of "Pearls from Tahiti" on display at DJWE 2020
Robert Wan is a market leader in the world for the most luxurious and beautifully-crafted Tahitian pearls.
Habbar noted that Qataris are “very sensitive and emotional toward the pearl” since the country’s economy relied so much with pearls and pearl diving, and has been at the epicenter of the pearl trade for more than 7,000 years.
It is learnt that the story of pearls and pearl harvesting is embedded in the history of Qatar, dating before the discovery of oil and gas.
“Pearl is a very niche market it is not everybody in the world who understands (it) like or interested to buy this gem, which is expensive,” Habbar said. “It is costly because it requires a lot of maintenance. We need specialists and artisans to do this, which has been going on from generation to generation.”
Robert Wan, she added, has been present in the region for many years and in 2007, collaborated with the Qatar government (Qatar Foundation and Qatar Luxury Group), to develop the Qatar Pearl Legacy farm in the country. The initiative aims to revive and put a spotlight on Qatar’s pearl and pearl harvesting.
Habbar said they harvested twice and produced masterpiece necklace sets and some small jewellery “to be able to offer it to everyone, something from the pearl.”
People in the region, especially Qataris, are very interested with pearls, not only because of its close link with their history but also with its elegance and colour, she added.
“With pearl, you cannot do much in terms of design so we don’t like too much creation, we want to make sure the pearl is really standing so we use very simple design to make sure the pearl is visible,” Habbar said.
Some of Robert Wan’s collections showcased at DJWE 2020 include Zoja, inspired by the essence of the modern woman, which is in collaboration with international designer Zoja Mihic; Akila, a contemporary and modern collection fashionable by its simplicity combining Tahitian pearls and 18K gold; Muse, described as exotic and wild, presents glowing mother-of-Pearl and elegant white diamonds, alongside “the timeless look of Tahitian pearls”; and Ariake (“bright light”) showcases an ancestral savoir-faire from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Maki-e.