A Chinese fine jewelry success story: Qeelin turns 20

Christophe Artaux, the French CEO of Kering-owned Chinese jewelry brand Qeelin, talks with Jing Daily at the launch of Qeelin’s Miracle Garden in Hangzhou. The garden setting offers a moment of zen in a hectic schedule for the Hong Kong-based CEO. He has just flown in from Tokyo, where he launched Qeelin’s first Japan store in central Ginza. Over the coming days, he’s accompanying 100 colleagues to Dunhuang, the spiritual birthplace of Qeelin, where “something exciting is in the works.” Indeed, it is an important year for Qeelin as the brand celebrates its 20th anniversary and embarks on a critical stage in its growth. Two decades isn’t much compared to its centuries-old competitors in the fine jewelry field, but Qeelin has already developed a loyal following among 20- to 35-year-old female Chinese consumers as it rides the zeitgeist with a balance of culture and craftsmanship, playfulness, and self-expression. Christophe Artaux, who has led Qeelin as CEO for the past decade, believes the time is ripe to unleash the brand’s elevation roadmap. “You need a certain level of scale, resources, and expectations because it's a very demanding segment. However, we are now ready to broaden the portfolio of Qeelin into the upper end,” he tells Jing Daily for this partner feature. Miracle Garden blooms in Hangzhou Fine jewelry is considered “a bright spot for investment amid uncertainty … favored by top spenders on the ultra-high offer,” according to Bain-Altagamma’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study 2023. Jewelry was the only segment that maintained double-digit growth in Q4 2023 for Kering. Qeelin launched its new bridal and fine jewelry collections in 2023. In March, it unveiled the second Miracle Garden fine jewelry collection with a private exhibition in Hangzhou. “Qeelin has always been a very high-end brand, but our new thematic collections are an important way to reinforce the upper-end segment of our jewelry,” explains Artaux. After curating fine jewelry exhibitions in Shanghai last year and Hangzhou last month, Artaux was excited by the possibilities to get closer to consumers. “We could clearly see the expectations of the market and our customers. By organizing these very creative exhibitions, it’s a unique way to engage with your customer through beautiful experiences and rich storytelling to increase their loyalty.” Hangzhou not only happens to be one of the cities with the highest number of billionaires in China according to the 2024 Hurun Rich List, but its famous classical landscapes provide a fitting backdrop for Qeelin’s traditional-meets-modern spirit. The annual Miracle Garden fine jewelry collections are intended to represent the pinnacle of Qeelin’s craftsmanship and creativity. Many of its popular nature motifs and traditional oriental symbols have been reimagined as wearable artworks adorned with jade, diamonds, and other precious gemstones. The delicate pieces are imbued with lucky totems for success, prosperity, protection, wisdom, and the like, adding to the appeal for many Chinese consumers. The Bamboo collection of interlocking jadeite and diamonds mimics bamboo stems, adorned with orchid and panda clasps. The shimmering Qin Qin goldfish combines rose gold, rubies, and diamonds representing good luck and passion, and the Wulu Lotus Pond features auspicious lavender-colored jade entwined with 18K white gold. The Yu Yi collection is inspired by the geometric patterns of classic Chinese window lattice inlaid with emeralds, jade, sapphires, turquoise, rubies, and onyx, meant to bring wealth, success, and boundless imagination. The Wulu Fairy features Qeelin’s iconic wulu gourd motif with a Mogao Cave fairy-inspired twist, while the limited edition Wulu 20 collection is silhouetted by 20 cabochon-cut jade stones marking the 20th anniversary. Qeelin global brand ambassador Lay Zhang, actress Mengchen Shen, and singer Yichun Shan were among the VIPs that attended the Hangzhou event. Guests entered through Qeelin’s signature wulu-shaped doorway into a curated wonderland where the jewelry was displayed amid garden ponds, bamboo groves, and traditional pavilions. Zeroing in on China China’s luxury market saw a 12 percent yearly increase in 2023 with mid-single-digit growth projected for 2024. But as luxury groups issue profit warnings and tighten belts, Artaux is taking an opportunistic approach to the softening luxury market in China. “Qeelin already has a unique positioning, and we believe that by emphasizing our differences we will further emerge. China is our home market and our number one market. We are actually increasing our investment in China and we’re extremely optimistic about China in the mid- to long term,” Artaux says. Qeelin currently has direct distribution in 15 markets, including France, South Korea and, as of this month, Japan. Although the high-profile Ginza flagship is an important milestone for Qeelin, Artaux isn’t planning further international expansion in the current climate. “Our essential focus is on mainland China,” he confirms. “Besides some selective openings in China, the idea is to upgrade our existing distribution and retail concept.” Last year, Qeelin relocated and renovated eight stores in China to larger and more prominent locations to align with the new portfolio. “We will systematically be doing this for at least the next two years as part of our brand elevation roadmap,” he adds. A message to China and the world While many of its competitors seek to establish closer connections with the Chinese market, Qeelin is already well established and continues to solidify its position through its marketing strategy. “A lot of the established jewelry brands are western brands. Qeelin was born in China and is headquartered in China. Our passion is for this culture, and I believe we have the legitimacy to carry this message to China and the world,” says Artaux. Qeelin’s Chinese New Year Golden Dragon Parade on Yulong River was an eye-catching example of this message. However, the January appointment of Chinese pop singer, dancer, and actor Lay Zhang as global brand ambassador was a particularly savvy move. “Lay has been pushing the boundaries of style in modernity, music, and performance, which resonates very well with Qeelin and our market,” says Artaux. The confident celeb not only appeals to Qeelin’s 80 percent female market but also influences more gender-fluid styles of self-expression. Both Lay and Qeelin ambassador Yonna will attend the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival in May. The event will mark 20 years since Maggie Cheung wore a single Qeelin Wulu earring on the red carpet in 2004, launching the then-new brand into the international spotlight. Interview and additional reporting by Derek Zhao

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A Chinese fine jewelry success story: Qeelin turns 20