Qeelin's jewelry inspired by traditional Chinese culture sparkles at expo

Qeelin, a luxury fine jewelry brand which blends traditional cultural elements with a modern twist, is providing consumers with fashionable products with Chinese sophistication.

During the ongoing China International Consumer Products Expo, also known as the Hainan Expo, in Haikou, Hainan province, Qeelin is showcasing a wide range of its iconic collection to immerse visitors with a rich experience of aesthetics and culture.

Christophe Artaux, CEO of Qeelin, said the company is proud to participate in the expo.

"It is a very positive and encouraging sign during this pandemic period," Artaux said. "I heard it is expected to be the biggest fine consumer products exhibition in Asia and I feel very proud that Qeelin can attend and show its support for the Hainan project and growing duty-free business in the country.

"We are very happy to take this opportunity to introduce Qeelin's most iconic creations to more Chinese jewelry customers."

Brand roots

Founded in 2004 in Hong Kong, the brand's origin is linked to the ancient city of Dunhuang, Gansu province, after its founder Dennis Chan visited the city in 1997.

Impressed by the magnificence of the Mogao Grottoes, Chan was inspired to create a jewelry brand that could showcase China's fascinating cultural heritage to the world. Thus, the brand of Qeelin was created.

Named after the Qilin, an auspicious mythical creature and icon of love in Chinese culture, Qeelin fuses unbridled creativity with excellence in craftsmanship. Thus, the brand has carried out its philosophy of balance and harmony in refining the traditional Chinese symbolism with a modern aesthetic through its fine jewelry.

"Since Qeelin's inception in 2004, every piece of jewelry has carried rich cultural connotation, reinterpreting traditional symbols with stylish designs intended for daily wear, infusing new life and contemporary meaning to Chinese heritage," Artaux said.

At the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Qeelin made its debut on the world stage, presenting its iconic collection Wulu－a symbol of a Chinese gourd representing positivity and hope.

In 2019, Qeelin opened a store at the famed Place Vendome in Paris, marking the first Chinese jewelry brand to have a boutique facility at such a location of luxury.

Iconic products

Dedicated to empowering Chinese culture through innovation, the brand has made creations featuring traditional Chinese symbols in its collections such as Wulu, Bobo and Yuyi, pushing design boundaries into a new iconography of contemporary oriental chic for today's new generations through the interpretation of ancient Chinese traditions.

Qeelin's Wulu collection symbolizes health and fortune and is designed in the shape of a gourd resembling the shape of the numeral eight which in itself resembles the Chinese character for wealth.

Showcasing this collection during the expo, Artaux said: "We surely want to highlight our commitment to our home market and we will do it notably through our modern Wulu, auspicious symbol in traditional Chinese culture.

"Since its debut, the collection has been celebrated as a classic piece of East-meets-West fashion, and to this day remains a signature of the brand."

Adding fun into the design, Bobo is another collection that stands out among Qeelin's products.

Inspired by pandas, Bobo is designed with a special technique in mind, which allows customers to customize breastpins by fitting them with various diamonds.

Qeelin artisanship incorporates 18-karat gold, diamonds and fine leather into exquisite contemporary designs that are versatile and relevant to the many facets of modern life. Dazzling from afar, Qeelin jewelry is even more captivating up close, inviting new conversations with its playful, interactive elements, the company said.

"Today's generation pursue meaningful life experiences and are very well-informed and sophisticated in the way they approach luxury. They buy jewelry as a way of individual expression and we, as Qeelin, must be authentic and modern to engage with them," Artaux said.

Homage to heritage

With the vision of carrying Chinese culture forward, Qeelin has striven to bring contemporary Chinese design to the world to usher in a new era of oriental aesthetics and elegance through the lens of jewelry.

Drawing on thousands of years of Chinese culture, Qeelin's designs integrate iconic symbols and make them relevant to young, contemporary life. They breathe new life into legends and blessings, and shine a new light on ancient traditions, the company said.

Rekindling the splendor of Chinese culture in the context of contemporary luxury－this is Qeelin's unique way of honoring its roots, according to Artaux.

"Qeelin, whose vision is to establish itself as the leading modern Chinese jewelry brand on the international scene, wishes to bring a credible alternative to Western brands and we have very ambitious development plans, and our priority is the Chinese mainland where our distribution network will be further developed in the next three years," Artaux said.

"The core customers of Qeelin are Chinese around the world but we do have a growing segment of international clients who are cosmopolitan consumers with cultural curiosity and interest in Qeelin's modern East-West fusion designs," he added.

The Bobo collection of breastpins is one of Qeelin's iconic product lines. The collection is inspired by pandas and can be customized with various diamonds. CHINA DAILY

The Wulu collection necklace is inspired by Chinese gourds, which have an auspicious meaning. CHINA DAILY

Christophe Artaux, CEO of Qeelin. CHINA DAILY