00:00Bonjour et bienvenue à Qatar365 avec moi, Adil Halim.
00:26On this episode, we're back at the Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition.
00:31The world-renowned luxury event has returned to Qatar for its 21st edition.
00:36I'll explore how watches can be both functional and fashionable
00:39as I try on some of the most cutting-edge and high-end designs on the market.
00:44But first, Ioana Hu's goes window shopping at some of the most established international jewelry brands.
00:51It's glitz, it's glamour, but above all, the Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition
00:56is a treasure trove of craftsmanship and some of the world's most dazzling designs.
01:01Once a diamond in the rough, over the past two decades,
01:04the prestigious event has grown into one of the most celebrated exhibitions in the market,
01:09cementing Qatar's position as a luxury tourism destination.
01:13Doha Jewelry & Watches Exhibition hosts more than 500 brands from all around the world,
01:19from about 32 countries.
01:21And when we are talking about Qatar, we are talking about not only a destination attraction
01:26when it's come to the entertainment and festival, but also we are talking about the luxury tourism.
01:30We want to showcase the readiness of our infrastructure,
01:34hosting such kind of a mega-project that definitely brings visitors and those who have the enthusiasts
01:40to learn more about the luxury that awaits them inside.
01:44There are plenty of up-and-coming designers here hoping to bedazzle visitors
01:49and make a name for themselves in the jewelry industry.
01:51But some of the biggest stands have been reserved for brands that have been around for decades
01:55and some even centuries.
01:59One of the exhibition's crown jewels, the Tiffany & Co. Pavilion,
02:04an American luxury jewelry house founded in 1837.
02:08Middle East is an incredibly important market because of the passion, the knowledge,
02:12the history that really is born from the Middle East.
02:16Luxury is a way of life here.
02:18Tiffany & Co. has been a great part of it and it's a very important market to us
02:22because of the incredibly important clients that we have here.
02:25So this is really about showcasing the best of what Tiffany & Co. has,
02:29which are exceptional diamonds, colored gemstones and, of course, pearls.
02:34The highlight of the Tiffany & Co. Pavilion is this display,
02:36a collection of jewelry that is all about celebrating the natural heritage
02:41and pearl diving traditions of the Arabian Peninsula.
02:45We are extraordinarily proud to be featuring some exceptional pearls
02:49that are really we're bringing back home.
02:53They're from the Gulf.
02:54They're in incredible creations featuring diamonds,
02:57inspired by the great Jean Schlumberger,
02:59who's one of our iconic designers at Tiffany & Co.
03:01company and really features incredible silver, near-white, large, beautiful pearls
03:08that really highlight the unique nature of these beautiful gemstones.
03:13While many of the exhibition's jewelry pieces are unique and exclusive,
03:17the yearly event is accessible for all free of charge.
03:21Meaning that for five days, visitors can come to admire the beauty on display
03:25at the Doha National Convention Center,
03:27whether you're here to spend big or just have a little browse, like me.
03:35Now, from an annual temporary exhibition to a permanent collection,
03:39I've come to the Museum of Islamic Art to check out some extraordinary pieces of jewelry.
03:43To help us understand the significance of these precious stones,
03:46I sat down with Dr. Munia Shekhab-Abudaya,
03:50Mia's Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs.
03:53Some of those daggers, and that's the finial.
03:57Dr. Munia, the museum hosts an expansive jewelry collection
04:00with pieces that come from all over the world.
04:03In terms of numbers, how many pieces do you have here,
04:05and where do they come from?
04:06So, the Museum of Islamic Art holds a collection
04:09of approximately 500 jewelry pieces,
04:12which is actually a fairly small part of the collection.
04:15if we think of the total number being approximately 12,000 pieces.
04:21On display, there's around 150 pieces of jewelry,
04:25from Morocco, Spain, all the way to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines even.
04:32So, it really shows the diversity of pieces
04:35that are being produced in the Islamic world,
04:37from the 9th century all the way to the 20th century.
04:43So, it's a wide range of the Islamic world.
04:45Are there some commonalities or stark differences
04:48you see when you kind of compare the pieces?
04:50There's actually a lot of differences,
04:52because it shows that there's a syncretism
04:56between indigenous techniques
04:59and any of the jewelry that would have been already produced
05:05in specific regions of the Islamic world,
05:07and how it's been reused and refined in the Islamic period.
05:14So, for example, if we look at Spanish jewelry from the medieval period,
05:18it shows very much an influence of what was produced in Europe.
05:23And same in Indonesia, for example,
05:25you have a lot of use of techniques
05:27that already belong to Southeast Asia
05:30and to Indonesia in particular in previous periods,
05:34before Islam was introduced in these regions.
05:37So, some of the pieces come from the Islamic world from the 8th to the 13th century,
05:41around the time when Iran was expanding its political influence
05:44and becoming a key player.
05:47How did this influence Iranian art?
05:49The 8th to the 13th century was a very pivotal period
05:54for not just Iran, but also Iran and Central Asia
05:57in terms of jewelry making.
06:00And I would say that it's very close
06:02to what has been produced in Egypt and Syria
06:05between the 9th and 12th century,
06:08in terms of techniques at least,
06:10because they would have been using some of the antique techniques,
06:14but would have refined them.
06:15So, you find a lot of gold that would have been used at that time
06:19with a little bit of enameled metal work as well,
06:24which would have been combined with precious stones and jewelry making.
06:28So, of course, this is the medieval period
06:31for the entire Islamic world
06:33is a time when the techniques
06:37and the production of jewelry
06:39has been very influential, I would say, for the later centuries.
06:44Now, we're in the South Asian gallery.
06:46One of the most famous pieces here
06:47is the Varanasi-style diamond necklace.
06:51Varanasi necklace has been done in North India.
06:53It's really representative of South Asian jewelry
06:57during the Mughal period.
06:59So, it is set with very precious stones,
07:01including diamonds,
07:03and diamonds were really part of the production in India.
07:08In general, South Asia has been very prolific in jewelry making,
07:14using precious materials such as jades
07:17that would have come from China and Eastern Asia.
07:21They would have been using, as well,
07:22emeralds that come from Colombia
07:24that were coming from through the Portuguese trade
07:27and later on with the British trade.
07:30And then you have the use of spinels.
07:32We have a few pieces here in this gallery
07:34which people confuse with rubies
07:36because they are a bit red,
07:38but they are actually pinkish red.
07:41They're not exactly as red as rubies.
07:44And spinels would have come from present-day Bangladesh
07:46or present-day Sri Lanka,
07:48which were also somehow part of South Asian dynasties.
07:52And so, this would have been traded
07:54into present-day India
07:57to make those jewelry pieces.
07:59The hope is by hosting a platform
08:04where a diverse range of exhibitors are under one roof,
08:07Qatar will continue to establish itself
08:09as a leading destination for luxury shopping.
08:12I got a chance to check out
08:13some incredible timepieces on display.
08:17For Maha Al-Fadhan,
08:19the Doha Jewelry and Watches exhibition
08:20has a special place in her heart.
08:23She fondly remembers visiting every year as a child.
08:26The exhibition is, quite literally,
08:29part of the family business.
08:31And now, so is she.
08:32Since I was a kid,
08:34they've been bringing us every year.
08:37I was young and I would come,
08:38I would come walk around,
08:41see the jewelry since I was younger.
08:43And my cousins, my siblings as well.
08:47So every year, we learn more,
08:49we know more, we understand it more.
08:51And finally this year,
08:53I joined the family business.
08:54Along with four of her cousins,
08:57Maha is part of the third generation of Al-Fadhan
08:59bringing an injection of youth to the company.
09:02And what better place to leave their mark
09:04on the legacy brand
09:05than at an international exhibition?
09:07And it started 20 years ago
09:09when my grandfather, Hussein Al-Fadhan,
09:11decided that he wanted to have a showcase
09:13to show the diamonds, the jewelry.
09:16And so every year we're here,
09:19we have one of the biggest pavilions,
09:21actually, in the Lohad Jewelry Watches exhibition.
09:25And we show all the brands
09:29that are under Al-Fadhan jewelry.
09:31There are more than 500 brands
09:33from 30 countries represented at this exhibition.
09:36This is the 13th straight year
09:38Ayd Adwan has been coming to the DJWE
09:41on behalf of 140-year-old Swiss luxury watch brand,
09:45Breitling.
09:45Middle East region is very important region
09:48for Breitling globally.
09:51And Qatar is one of the most important markets
09:53for us here.
09:54And this is one of the reasons
09:56why we are coming here,
09:58of course, to meet with our local retail partner
10:00and in the same time to meet all our clients,
10:04our friend of the brand,
10:05our partners here in the country.
10:10Aydwan remembers the exhibition's early days.
10:12he's seen significant growth in the size and scope
10:15of what he calls a global gathering.
10:17It was a smaller and less brand.
10:20And as we said before,
10:21Qatar become more and more destination
10:23for luxury brands.
10:25And we see the growth of the exhibition.
10:27We see a lot of new brands,
10:28which myself even, I don't know.
10:30So it's good chances for us,
10:32as I said, to show our product,
10:34but also to learn about the watch
10:36and jewelry industry in general.
10:38Another Swiss luxury watch manufacturer
10:40on full display here is IWC Schaffhausen.
10:45Originally founded as the International Watch Company,
10:48the brand has been around since 1868.
10:51More than 150 years.
10:53And since then,
10:55we are very well known
10:56for being the engineers of time
10:59and also for our craftsmanship
11:02and for our innovation.
11:03For many international brands,
11:05this exhibition not only allows them
11:07to showcase their luxury craftsmanship
11:09to their Gulf clientele,
11:10but also to foster growing cultural exchange.
11:14Our presence in the region
11:15is extremely important for us.
11:17And Qatar is one of the most key country
11:20in the region.
11:21And of course,
11:22we want to spread the world,
11:24but we want to show also the region
11:26how much it is important for us
11:28at an international level.
11:30From glitzy jewels to elegant timepieces,
11:38we hope you enjoyed discovering
11:39how the luxury retail sector
11:41continues to grow in Qatar
11:43from here at the 21st Doha Jewelry
11:46and Watches Exhibition.
11:47But that's all the time we have for now.
11:49For more, check out Euronews.com
11:50and connect with us through our hashtag.
11:52Thanks for watching,
11:53and we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.
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