Jordan's Princess Rajwa wears bespoke Bahraini pearls by Mattar in new portrait

To mark Princess Rajwa's 31st birthday this week, her husband, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, posted a previously unseen portrait of the pair on social media.

"Happy birthday Rajwa! Grateful for the love, kindness and warmth you bring into Iman’s life and mine,” the crown prince wrote, referring to their baby daughter.

The informal photograph shows Prince Hussein wearing a black polo shirt and black trousers, while the princess mirrors his relaxed look in a caramel-coloured dress and cardigan by American label Khaite. Her look is completed with a gold charm necklace and a pair of gold earrings made with rare Bahraini pearls.

The drop earrings were custom-made for the princess by Mattar, a pearl specialist that has been working with natural pearls from the Arabian Gulf for 175 years.

Inspired by traditional lampshades, the drop earrings are a nod to regional culture while being resolutely modern. Sculptural gold beads and white diamonds are interspaced with the natural pearls.

This is not the first time that Mattar has found royal favour. Prince Hussein's mother Queen Rania of Jordan has been photographed carrying a Mattar clutch bag decorated with pearls.

Faten Mattar is a sixth-generation member of the family business, as well as its director of brand and communications. She told The National why the company is well placed to supply bespoke jewellery to royalty.

"Our mandate is to get everyone to wear natural pearls, and if you ask me what we enjoy and love doing, it's always [designing and making] the bespoke pieces. With natural pearls being unique, every single piece is different," she says.

The company is known for its expertise and has worked Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel.

"We do have buyers come in for some royalty or ultra-high-net-worth people," says Mattar, adding diplomatically: "But in these particular cases, people of the same calibre gifted them the pieces."

In an era of over-exposure, she believes the company's enduring appeal lies in its discretion. "People tell us: 'Oh, I'm shocked that I don't know about you,'" Mattar says. "But in our line of business, that's how it should be. It's about being exclusive."