DJWE traders upbeat on Qatar luxury market

The participation of a growing number of jewellery brands from acrossthe world, especially several newcomers at the latest edition of theDoha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE), shows their growingconfidence in the purchasing power of clients in Qatar.This sentiment was echoed by some of the boutique owners who have beenparticipating in the expo ever since its inception 15 years ago.As usual, bridal collections of different hues and shades, especiallythose made to suit the tastes and interests of the region’s clients areseemingly the forte of most of the exhibitors. “We know it too well whatwould attract the Doha buyers as they never compromise on the qualityof ornaments, especially in their finish,” said Devji aurum officialSajith Kottayan.While echoing similar sentiments, husband-wife duo of designers fromBrazil  Marcelo Albuquerque and Ana Albuquerque of Goldesign said theywere regulars at Doha event for the last four years and they are happywith the response. “The collectors here, especially women, have some favourite colours whenthey make their final choices and we, as designers, have understoodwhat exactly are their requirements,” said Marcelo. Ana, who designs a large number of their collections on display saidturquoise and tanzanite stones go down well with the customers acrossthe region.Connoisseur Kapil Dasani has no doubt that Qatar continues to be afavourite ground for international brands as the country has an enormousnumber of collectors. The per capita collection of Qatari customers mayperhaps be one of the highest in the world of stones and diamonds, hesaid while adding that the customers here though adhering to thecountry’s strong traditions have flexibility when it comes to makingtheir purchases, especially on occasions like weddings.Qatar, he said, has an array of established jewellers and each of them has a good market among the region’s clients. While expressing happiness at the expo organisers dedicating a specialsection for Turkish jewellers, an official of an Istanbul-based jewellersaid they have found a reasonably good market in Qatar in recent years.He said their jewellery has completed more than six decades in theindustry and they have been watching Qatar market with a lot of interestin the last 10 years. “The customers here, though deep rooted in traditions, are receptiveindeed to changes in patterns, designs and styles,” he said.Antwerp-based Gembel European official R Rathod, who has a boutique atAlfardan Jewellery pavilion, feels Qatari market continues to have a lotof momentum and buyers are showing interest in innovative and creativepieces.