I’ve always believed that the most extraordinary pieces of jewelry tell stories—not just about their creators, but about entire cultures, landscapes, and the delicate ecosystems that inspire them. So when I learned about the Houbara Haven Tiara, a stunning collaboration between Qatari artist Aisha Alattiya and the legendary Maison Chaumet, I knew this was a story worth telling.
A Competition That Captured the Region’s Imagination
The journey of the Houbara Haven Tiara began with an ambitious initiative launched in 2024 by Qatar Museums and M7, in partnership with Maison Chaumet and commissioned by Alfardan Jewellery. Building on the success of the “Chaumet & Nature” high jewelry exhibition held in Doha earlier that year, the project invited artists and designers from across the Middle East and North Africa to reimagine the timeless tiara through their own cultural lenses.
The response was overwhelming. More than eighty applications poured in from jewelry designers, architects, product designers, and artists working in applied and decorative arts. These weren’t just submissions. They were love letters to heritage, each one attempting to merge the applicant’s cultural identity with Chaumet’s centuries-old fascination with the natural world.
From this impressive pool, eleven designers were shortlisted to participate in an exclusive masterclass at M7, Qatar’s epicenter for innovation and entrepreneurship in design, fashion, and technology. Led by Olga Corsini, Chaumet’s Creative Studio Director, the workshop offered participants an immersive introduction to the storied Maison’s approach to high jewelry design.
But the real magic happened next. Three finalists—Aisha Alattiya, an artist and jewelry designer; Zahia Albakri, an architect and fashion designer; and Alanoud Al-Ghamdi, an artist and calligrapher—were selected for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a visit to Chaumet’s legendary atelier at 12 Place Vendôme in Paris. There, under the guidance of workshop head Benoît Verhulle and the Maison’s master artisans, they were immersed in the poetic world of gouache illustration and traditional high jewelry craftsmanship.
Aisha Alattiya: The Artist Behind the Vision
When Aisha Alattiya was announced as the winner, it marked what she described as a significant milestone in her journey as an emerging jewelry designer. A Qatari multidisciplinary artist, Alattiya brought to this project not just technical skill, but a deep, intimate understanding of Qatar’s natural landscape and cultural heritage.
Her design, which would become the Houbara Haven Tiara, wasn’t just about creating a beautiful object. It was about telling a distinctly Qatari story through the language of high jewelry. And what a story it is.
The Poetry of the Design
At the heart of the Houbara Haven Tiara lies a narrative as old as Qatar itself. The piece depicts a houbara bird, a species deeply woven into the fabric of Qatari culture, seeking refuge in the pearl-like blossoms and fruit of the Awsaj tree. This isn’t merely decorative symbolism; it’s a snapshot of a dramatic moment in nature, capturing the instant when the houbara finds sanctuary from a falcon on the wing.
The Awsaj plant itself is a marvel of desert resilience. Thriving in Qatar’s harsh desert environment, this hardy plant produces fruit reminiscent of pearls and displays delicate white and purple blossoms known for their medicinal properties. Traditionally, its intertwined branches have been used to craft embroidery spindles, connecting the plant to Qatar’s textile heritage. In Alattiya’s design, these branches form the tiara’s intricate foundation, creating a protective sanctuary rendered in precious metals and stones.
The design pays homage to Qatar’s falconry tradition—a practice so integral to the country’s identity that it’s recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. The openwork wings of the houbara evoke both freedom and protection, capturing the intimate dance between hunter and hunted that has played out in Qatar’s deserts for centuries.
Drawing from Qatar’s enduring pearl-diving legacy, the Houbara Haven Tiara incorporates exceptional natural Gulf pearls sourced through Alfardan Jewellery. These weren’t just any pearls. They were carefully selected from the private collection of Hussein Alfardan, each one a testament to Qatar’s deep historical connection to the sea and the pearl-diving traditions that once formed the backbone of its economy.
From Concept to Creation: 850 Hours of Mastery
What strikes me most about the Houbara Haven Tiara is the sheer amount of human skill and dedication required to bring Alattiya’s vision to life. The piece demanded 850 hours of precise, meticulous work in Chaumet’s high jewelry workshop at Place Vendôme—that’s more than thirty full days of concentrated craftsmanship.
Master jewelers, setters, polishers, and engravers all contributed their specialized expertise to the project. The tiara is crafted from white gold and set with diamonds carefully selected by Chaumet, along with those remarkable natural pearls from Alfardan’s collection. Every element had to work in perfect harmony, from the delicate floral motifs to the dramatic representation of the bird in flight.
But here’s what makes this piece truly exceptional: in a nod to Chaumet’s flair for versatility and innovation, the tiara’s delicate floral motifs can be detached and worn as brooches. This transformable quality—what the French call “art of multiple portés”—means the Houbara Haven Tiara isn’t just one piece of jewelry, but many, adapting to different occasions and styling preferences.
Throughout the creation process, M7 worked hand-in-hand with Alattiya, extending additional mentorship and support to help refine her craft in jewelry design. It was, as Alattiya herself described it, “the privilege of a lifetime” to learn from the extraordinary designers, artisans, and craftspeople at Maison Chaumet.
What This Collaboration Means
Charles Leung, CEO of Chaumet, captured the essence of this project beautifully when he noted that each of the Maison’s creations reflects a continuous dialogue between nature and craftsmanship. The Houbara Haven Tiara embodies this spirit perfectly, uniting Alattiya’s Qatari heritage with Chaumet’s Parisian savoir-faire to create something that is both deeply poetic and richly symbolic.
For Ali Hussain Alfardan, President of Alfardan Jewellery, the project held special significance. Pearls have always been integral to Qatar’s cultural identity—symbols of purity, resilience, and connection to the natural world. Alattiya’s design captures these values while reflecting the essence of Qatari national identity through contemporary craftsmanship.
Maha Ghanim Al Sulaiti, Director of M7, emphasized how the project demonstrated design’s power to tell meaningful stories. She noted that Maison Chaumet embodies the art of honoring heritage through design, and Alattiya’s winning creation stands as a testament to both her artistic talent and the beauty of celebrating cultural roots through storytelling.
Experiencing the Journey
Today, the Houbara Haven Tiara is part of the Qatar Museums Collection, and visitors to M7 in Doha can experience not just the finished masterpiece but the entire journey from concept to creation. The exhibition, which opened on October 27, 2025, was officially unveiled by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, along with prominent dignitaries, artists, and cultural figures from Qatar and around the world.
The exhibition design itself takes visitors on a journey inspired by the falcon’s hunting patterns, exploring spaces that evoke its search path and the houbara’s haven. It offers behind-the-scenes insights into the collaborative process between Alattiya and Maison Chaumet, allowing visitors to understand not just what was created, but how and why.
A New Chapter in Cultural Exchange
What makes this story so compelling to me is how it represents a new model for cultural exchange in the world of high jewelry. This wasn’t simply a commission where a European house created something for a Middle Eastern market. Instead, it was a genuine collaboration that empowered an emerging regional talent, provided her with world-class mentorship and resources, and ultimately created something that could only have emerged from this specific partnership.
The initiative expanded Chaumet’s timeless code with nature, reinterpreted through a distinctly Qatari perspective. It opened new creative ground while maintaining the Maison’s centuries-old standards of excellence. And it demonstrated M7’s commitment to fostering connections and encouraging knowledge exchange between local communities and global brands.
For Alattiya, being selected as the winning designer represents more than personal achievement. It marks a significant moment for emerging jewelry designers from the region, proving that contemporary Middle Eastern voices have a place at the highest levels of the luxury jewelry world.
As I reflect on the Houbara Haven Tiara, I’m reminded that the most meaningful luxury goods aren’t just about precious materials or technical virtuosity—though this piece certainly has both in abundance. They’re about connection: to place, to heritage, to the natural world, and to the human hands that transform raw materials into objects of profound beauty and meaning.
The Houbara Haven Tiara now rests in the Qatar Museums Collection, a permanent testament to what’s possible when centuries of European craftsmanship meet the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East, when established houses open their doors to emerging talent, and when jewelry becomes not just adornment, but storytelling at its finest.
Featured image: Chaumet
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