By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
The Middle East, especially Qatar, has remained one of Robert Wan’s key markets in the world for its “Pearls from Tahiti,” its managing director Audrey Tcherkoff said yesterday.
“When we are in Qatar we feel at home because our pearls come from Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean, which is very far away,” she said. “We share the same passion for pearls with the Qatari people so we have the same heritage and the same understanding of those gems; so it is fantastic.”
Tcherkoff said that they have been performing well in the Qatari market, posting a 30% increase in sales in 2014 as compared with the figures in 2013.
“The growth is mostly linked to the fact that we are communicating a lot about pearls and we are educating about pearls as well as and helping them understand the different criteria,” said Tcherkoff. “Like for example, a 17mm pearl, we have to wait for five years for it, so that explains the price and the value.”
She expects to do more this year aiming to establish a standalone boutique in Qatar.
For more than 40 years, Robert Wan, known as “the emperor of pearls,” has been internationally renowned for his exquisite Pearls from Tahiti – unveiled for the first time at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition.
Robert Wan has unveiled the very first pearls harvested from the Qatar Pearl Legacy (QPL), as well as exclusive fine jewellery pieces created, at the Doha Watches and Jewellery Exhibition from February 24 to 28.
For centuries, the Arabian Gulf has been the primary source of all pearls worn by the monarchs of both the East and West, symbolising power and luxury.
Qatar in particular has been at the epicenter of the pearl trade for over 7,000 years and the story of pearls and pearl harvesting is embedded in the history of Qatar, dating before the discovery of oil and gas.
Inspired by this deep history and in partnership with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Luxury Group, Robert Wan has established the QPL.
The mission of QPL is to revive, relive and share the national passion for pearls, facilitating both cultural and educational growth along with protecting the environment.
The pearls from Qatar are from the pinctada radiata oyster, a natural inhabitant of the Gulf Sea and the one of a kind fine jewellery pieces that will be created from the harvests will embody and represent the rich culture and heritage of Qatar.

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