Meral Sartekin was born in Akhisar, a rural village in Turkey. As a free-spirited young woman, she left Turkey to study abroad in Zurich, Switzerland, where she met and married her husband, Halil. 

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 traditional turkish carpets and the natural beauty of their adopted country Switzerland.

Now, they focus solely on designing and creating the Kelim Jewelry Collection. Together with their nephew, Gultekin, they establised an atelier in Istanbul, where a team of highly skilled craftsmen bring each design to life.