Hairaat Jewellwery Founder Nada Al Sulaiti
Doha: Hairaat Jewellery Founder Nada Al Sulaiti has come a long way from being a participant at Qatari Young Designer to now having her own booth at the forthcoming Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE) in May.
She is a successful Qatari designer who has established her own brand and achieved international fame. Speaking at a media roundtable at DJWE recently, she said the exhibit has become a platform for her to grow. Her collections speak about Qatar's culture and architecture.
“In 2015 there wasn’t a Qatari Young Designer booth. I exhibited a commission piece and that won two international awards,” Al Sulaiti said. She is referring to Sakura Necklace which won a Merit Award in International Jewellery Design Excellence from Hong Kong in 2017, and Golden Award from A’ Design in 2015.
“My jewellery is primarily inspired by Qatar. What we do in Hairaat is we take the architectural language and hidden beauty that we find in Qatar whether it is in sea, desert or ornaments from the heritage and transform it into modern jewellery that suits all women, and that's what distinguished us. Each and every piece holds a story, all of our pieces have a story behind them. Now, we have a new brand that was exclusively launched in November 2021, and now the brand will be launched in June to the public,” she narrated.
Speaking on the demand for personalised jewellery, Al Sulaiti stressed that customisation is a trend not only locally but internationally also.
“Because of mass production, people want something that is intimate to them. Even now we offer a personalisation in fine jewellery. You can pick and choose a stone or enamel.”
The Qatari designer who’s been in the industry for more than a decade said that natural pearl jewellery will always have a market. The pearl diving industry was a huge business in Qatar back in the 19th century and in 1940, pearl diving made up most of the country’s economy and employed almost half of the population.
“Natural pearl jewellery never went out of fashion. There are certain clients that will never buy but natural, they won’t buy cultured. I’m seeing there is a bit of change in consumer behaviour, I see expatriates also who prefer natural pearls,” she said.
Aside from pearl, people are also investing in gemstone jewellery “as they hold their value,” Al Sulaiti revealed.
The Hairaat Jewellery offers commissioned works for natural pearls jewellery and has a huge collection of cultured pearls called Al Zubarah — a tribute to Zubarah City which was once a trading and pearling settlement.
Among her favourite collection is the Al Jassasiya which features stackable rings and has been a bestseller since 2017, and Saba which will be relaunched and is a Qatari and French fusion design. Currently, it has seven collections in total.
On the consumer trend investment in jewellery, Al Sulaiti said that her company sees young ladies and teenagers who developed an interest in the industry. She said there is no age for jewellery. “It’s timeless. It’s an ornament that everyone has been wearing since ancient days... Jewellery will always be in style... It will always be in fashion.”
DJWE returns after a year pause on May 9 to 13 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in West Bay.
It will showcase over 500 brands from over ten countries. Indian and Turkish pavilions are also back at the expo.
Talks and workshops from jewellery experts will also take place during the five-day event.
