Faberge, which first launched in the Qatari market at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) about nine years ago, has witnessed a growing market among the younger generation in Qatar. “We are interacting with a very young audience in Qatar, which is really exciting for Faberge,” Faberge managing director Antony Lindsay told 'Gulf Times' on the sidelines of the unveiling of Faberge’s ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ egg at the DJWE.
“Our creations are contemporary, refreshing, and different, and it’s attracting a younger audience, so we have younger people coming by the booth and they’re becoming friends. The next year they come back and they bring their friends,” he continued.
According to Lindsay, the pieces being showcased at the Faberge booth inside the Alfardan Jewellery pavilion provide inspiration to many people, especially for those who want bespoke pieces. “That’s the big part of what we do – it gives people creative input in the jewellery that they wear and we enjoy doing that as well, so we can make bespoke pieces whether it’s an adaptation of an existing piece or literally starting from a blank sheet of paper.
“We have an in-house design team that we could fly out to sit with our clients; we have consultations. And we understand what they would like, that means sorting gem stones, as well,” Lindsay pointed out.


Egg neclace adorned with Burmese rubies on display at the Faberge booth inside the Alfardan Jewellery pavilion


Alfardan Group chairman Hussain Ibrahim Alfardan, who unveiled the Spirit of Ecstasy, described the Faberge egg as “unique” and “one of its kind.” “This occasion is very important because the jewellery exhibition is one of a kind in the world. The standards of this exhibition are high and they will remain to be high, which is the impetus of this event. That is why the exhibitors here are always showcasing something unique and distinctive,” Alfardan told 'Gulf Times'.
Lindsay stressed that Faberge has always been about embracing the philosophy of its founder, Peter Karl Faberge.
“He was a pioneer and visionary of his time – a forward thinker. We strive at Faberge to reinvent luxury with a sense of wonder, surprise, and discovery by doing things a little bit differently, and I think the unveiling of the Spirit of Ecstasy egg is a fine example of that,” Lindsay further said.
On Faberge’s market presence in Qatar, Lindsay said: “Since Faberge’s first launch in Qatar, we found that there’s an existing clientele – Faberge aficionados, they’re collectors of pre-1917 Faberge pieces.”
“We expand year on year but we don’t necessarily need a brick-and-mortar retail platform to serve our clients, and quite often what we do is a lot of bespoke here at Faberge – clients come to us because they want something unique; they want to create a family heirloom that could be passed down from generation to generation, and I think Faberge is one of the revered names for bespoke jewellery, so it’s often private visits to people’s homes,” noted Lindsay, who said Faberge has outlets in in Villaggio, Landmark, The Pearl-Qatar, and Alfardan Centre.
He also lauded Alfardan Jewellery’s partnership with Faberge in Qatar: “We continue to work under the guidance of Alfardan Jewellery. Hussain Alfardan and his family have been very instrumental in helping us in this market. We’ve sold watches that we’ve made and they really helped us and advised us in the design aspect of the watches so that they’re fit for this market and we’ve had great success.”
He added: “I am a strong believer in the power of collaboration; I am absolutely delighted to be working with Alfardan and the family had been fantastic both on a business and personal level.”
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