Portuguese jeweller and designer Maria Joao Bahia, who made her debut in the Qatari market at the last edition of the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition, is a doubly confident entrepreneur now. 
She has not only studied the real requirements of her Qatari customers but has also come out with designs and patterns that would go down well to win them over. The jeweller from Lisbon, who specialises in both diamonds and pearls, has displayed some of her creations which have a direct bearing with the lives of Qataris. 
“Whatever I have exhibited at my booth is unique by all accounts,” she said while showing some of her exhibits at her booth at Alfardan Jewellery pavilion.
Among the notable pieces on display at the booth is a necklace, which has a pendant shaped like Qatar map. “This has been designed bearing in mind the tastes and interests of the Qatari people alone,” said the jeweller who ran an independent booth outside main pavilions last year. Another Maria creation that caught the attention of the locals is a head cover for falcons.
At the start of the proceedings yesterday, a couple of Qatari falcon enthusiasts approached the Portuguese designer to try her head equipment on their pet falcons.
It has been her 35th year in the business and the designer is keen on making more Qatari specific pieces for her local clientele. Kesh, South Sea, Akoya and Tahitis are the pearls mainly used for the making of her collections. “Locally, ornaments made from Tahiti pearls are in great demand, even among the youngsters,” she said.
“Whatever designs I have made from sapphire, ruby, emerald and diamonds are wholly different from what others have exhibited, “ she insisted.