The purchasing decisions of customers in Qatar are guided by individual tastes and not prevailing trends in other markets, according to a prominent jeweller who runs companies in the US and Thailand.
Arto Artinian, president and CEO of Bangkok-headquartered Artinian Company Limited, made the observation while attending the 13th Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE).
Buyers of jewellery and other luxury products in Qatar have no particular favourites when it comes to the type of jewels, feels Artinian. “They appreciate whatever is good. Most of their buying decisions are influenced by individual tastes and not by any prevailing trends in other markets,” he said.
He noted that the jewellery industry as a whole was focusing on emerging and fast-developing markets, where economic development over the past two years had been steady. “The Gulf countries continue to do okay,” he said.
Replying to a query on the comparatively large stock of emeralds at his stall, located in the Alfardan Jewellery pavilion, he said the stone had a number of takers among locals in Qatar.
At the same time, rubies sourced from different markets such as Myanmar, parts of South America and Sri Lanka also have a “fairly good number” of customers in this region, including Qatar, it was observed.
On the availability of skilled craftsmen in the industry, Artinian said even most of the requirements were met by personnel from traditionally strong areas such as Italy, India, South America and Thailand, among some others. Workers from his homeland, Armenia, are also consistently contributing to the world market.
Meanwhile, Artinian observed that whenever there is a slowdown in the global economy, it is natural that the premium jewel business will be affected at different levels, depending on the size of each market.
Artinian said though the jewellery business is usually propelled by the passion of  clients, developments in the global economy do have an impact on trading and customers from the Gulf are also seemingly reacting in the same way as their counterparts elsewhere. Most regular buyers, he said, are keenly watching the ongoing economic ups and downs and exercising control on spending.
Brands such as Sartoro and Marli are run by Artinian.