Meral Sartekin was born in 1960 in Akhisar, a rural village in Turkey. The free spirited, independent young woman left her county to study abroad in Zurich, Switzerland where she married Halil and gave birth to their daughter. In 1992 the couple founded Kelim, a boutique specializing in handmade goods from their native Turkey. Meral and Halil began designing jewelry inspired by the beautiful patterns in, the traditional Turkish carpets and the natural beauty of their adopted country, Switzerland. After the success of their first wholesale trad show, the couple focused solely on designing and producing the Kelim Jewelry Collection. Together with their nephew, Gultekin, they established their atelier in Istanbul, where a team of highly trained craftsment bring each design to life.