Image used for representation only
Inspired by an apparent lack of information to jewellery buyers, Qatar’s Noora Al Ansari’s Papillon (the French word for butterfly) Jewellery is answering these unanswered questions while channelling Arab culture and heritage in its designs.
Noora will showcase the bridal sets and diamond and traditional gold bridal sets for the upcoming Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition.
Noora’s design covers elements of the garden and Arabian culture. Papillon’s latest collection includes Noora’s favourite Papillon, Burwaz, Dazzah, Solitaire, Omari Qatar, Secret Garden, Signature, Vintage, Royal and Elegant Everyday.
“When we design, we do it to international taste and standards. At the same time, I’m very proud of my culture and our heritage. So I make sure we design according to the taste of our local customers as well.”
Noora, who took English Language as a major for her bachelor’s and has an MBA, has taken a special diploma in Diamond Grading from the HRD. She is still learning in her words.
Noora said when she decided to buy her first solitaire ring, she realized that most jewellery boutiques don’t give the correct information about purchasing a piece of jewellery. According to her, a realization that customers miss out on many details like the four Cs; cut, clarity, carat and colour encouraged her to dig further.
“No one was explaining this to us until I did my research. I did a lot of research to understand this, and from that moment, I realized that I have a passion for designing jewellery. So, Papillon is where the customer can trust us, and we will always provide them with the best jewellery pieces,” Noora said.
“I thought to give the brand the name Papillon because I wanted to express the client’s experience of enjoying the jewellery; the client is the butterfly, Papillon jewellery boutique is the garden, and the jewellery is the flower. “So it’s expressing how the client is, or the butterfly enjoying flying from one piece to another piece of jewellery in a peaceful, beautiful place full of colours,” she added.
Now located at the Place Vendome, Noora opened her first store at Gulf Mall in 2015, though Papillon was established four years earlier. She said she was the first Qatari designer to own and open a boutique by herself and has since seen many Qatari women take inspiration from her success.
“Some of them are inspired by Papillon, some that I know. I’m so proud to see these ladies, you know, standing out as well -- doing their passion.
Meanwhile, Noora said the local market for designers has increased competition with international brands but added being compared with these renowned entities shows Qatari designers have come a long way.
“There are a lot of jewellery stores. Now for us as first generation, having competitors that have been in the market for more than 30 to 50 years, to be among them and to be compared with them in terms of quality, and the kind of jewellery that we give to our client, it makes us proud of what we have achieved,” she added. Papillon also took advantage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which Noora said allowed her to introduce the designs inspired by the Arab culture to visiting fans, with many interested in knowing the history behind them.
“it was amazing. I had the chance to meet many people from Germany, Mexico, and Poland, so it was a nice experience for us. I had a lot of collection that is part of our tradition. Many just stopped by to understand the idea behind it, the pattern, and its origin. However, most of them were more into looking into a nice simple pearl pendant or earrings because they know that pearls are very much related to our culture and heritage,” Noora added.
