HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani touring the exhibition after the opening along with Qatar Tourism Authority chairman Issa bin Mohammed al-Mohannadi and other officials and dignitaries. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed
Qatar’s homegrown luxury brand, QELA, has revealed a new range of creations in precious metals and locally themed gemstones to be shown at the prestigious Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) 2015.
Locally cultured Legacy pearls, deep red rubies and extravagant sand-rose designs all feature in the collection and these bejewelled artworks are all handcrafted in Doha.
“We are delighted to announce another special selection of QELA gems, which will grace the exhibition in 2015,” said Sheikha Noor bint Hamad al-Thani, QELA’s official spokesperson and vice-president for brand image. “The DJWE is well established as a venue for international product launches in the world of jewellery and watch design and manufacturing, and as a home-grown luxury brand we naturally want to represent the very best that Qatar offers in this field.”
For 2015, not only will QELA’s new creations be on display to dazzle the public eye, but its sparkling talent will also be publicly showcased: the luxury brand’s master jewellers are to attend the exhibition in person and will be at the QELA stand.
Large, spherical rubies, naturally glowing from the heart with their own “Qatar” hue, have replaced pearls in three pieces recreated from QELA’s Erth (Legacy) line, originally inspired by the tiny nation’s long pearling heritage. The new incarnations are the Nihaya necklace and the Khuloud necklace in diamonds, rubies and white gold, and the spectacular ruby Riwayah ring.
The Khuloud chain sparkles with diamonds along the whole of its substantial length, while Nihaya’s gems are displayed on a more slender chain in precious metal only. Both necklaces contain a detachable bracelet so they can be worn as one piece or two.
Qatar’s pearling heritage is not only re-invoked but revivified in new embodiments of the original, pearl-set models of Riwayah and Nihaya. For the first time ever, QELA will be showcasing examples of these pieces crafted using local cultured pearls harvested by QELA’s sister company, Qatar Pearl Legacy, from their Ras Laffan pearl farms.
The exhibition will see entirely new designs added to QELA’s elegant Wardat Al Sahra line, inspired by the naturally flower-like, crystalline forms found in Qatar’s deserts. Shmoukh (Highness) is an exceptional statement bracelet in white gold, set with no fewer than 693 full diamonds.
It is the first such extravagant bracelet design to be inspired by the sand-rose, with an elaborately branched form extending organically from the architectural edges of the glittering central form to resolve into a graceful, asymmetric interweaving all around the wrist.
QELA’s superlative leather-craft will also be on display at the exhibition in the form of a new clutch, named Tawam, a true showpiece in flawless amber crocodile with a yellow-gold and diamond pavé closure in the form of a sand-rose, similar to the form of the exquisite Ehsas ring.