OUR STORY · FOUNDED AND LED BY MEILI LU
From a small stall.Towards a wider world.
A decision by Meili Lu. Two close friends who joined her. More than a decade of building a business through a love of jewellery, careful work and relationships that last.
Meili Lu 陆美丽THE MEANING OF OUR NAME
Beauty with roots, a story that flows
Our brand is Mei & Tidemere, known in Chinese as 美洮氏珠宝. We also call her M&T for short.
美 · A personal beginning
Mei is the pinyin spelling of 美, the character for beauty in our founder Meili Lu’s name. It carries her personal connection to the brand and a Chinese appreciation of beauty and goodness. From the gentle lustre of a pearl to the way a piece feels when worn, we see beauty in both the jewellery and the person who makes it their own.
洮 · A river’s continuity
Tao, written 洮, connects our Chinese name to the Tao River. For us, flowing water suggests continuity. Pearls develop their lustre over time; jade is shaped with care and cherished through the years. Jewellery gives these materials a personal meaning, holding a moment close and carrying its beauty into the future.
Mei & Tidemere · Beauty carried forward
As we begin a new chapter in Britain, Mei keeps our Chinese roots within our name. Tidemere brings together tide and mere, a word for a lake. Together, they evoke water in motion and at rest: an image we connect with the quiet lustre of pearls and the emotions held in jewellery. Our wish is for beauty to be lived with, treasured and passed from one generation to the next.
Beauty on your own terms
Pearls and jade give this belief a tangible form. We hope each piece helps a woman recognise her own beauty, grow in confidence and wear it in a way that feels true to her. What we hope to pass on is both the jewellery we cherish and the confidence to define beauty for ourselves.
Pearls of her own.
Pearls & jade. Beauty on your own terms.
Beauty is personal.
So is the way you wear it.
01 / THE PEARL MARKET
Finding our place, one piece at a time.
More than a decade ago, Meili left a stable job and invited two close friends to build Mei & Tidemere with her. She led the venture from its earliest days, combining bespoke commissions with the everyday work of a small stall in the pearl market.
Surrounded by so many counters and passing faces, they felt small and easily overlooked. Meili kept the team focused on what they could make their own: choosing with care, refining each detail and taking every client’s wishes seriously. A love of jewellery and a commitment to craft gave them the strength to keep going.
02 / WORK, DONE WITH CARE
Care was a daily practice.
For Meili, a personal approach meant staying close to the people who would wear the jewellery. She led the team in talking directly with clients about colour, proportions and individual preferences, then refining the details together.
The work behind a finished piece was often quiet and repetitive: checking a detail, preparing a box, answering another question. Over time, this attentiveness became the way Mei & Tidemere was known.
03 / GROWING WITH THE TIMES
Ready when opportunity came.
As selling moved through WeChat networks and into livestreaming, Meili guided the brand through each new chapter. These channels brought their jewellery to more people; the experience built through years of direct service helped turn new encounters into lasting relationships.
THE CARE BEHIND EVERY PARCEL
A little joy in every parcel.
Checking each piece, wrapping, packing and sealing: this is the quiet work behind every parcel. The days can be busy and tiring, yet every detail deserves care. At the other end of each journey is someone looking forward to their jewellery.
Seeing the parcels neatly packed and ready to leave brings a quiet sense of joy. These small, repeated tasks carry the trust of our clients — and the satisfaction of knowing that our care will soon become part of someone else’s day.
04 / RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST
Trust, built in conversation.
Under Meili’s direction, direct conversation has remained central to Mei & Tidemere. There is time to discuss an idea, consider a small adjustment and find a piece that feels right to the person wearing it.
That closeness has brought a devoted circle of long-standing clients. Some have each purchased jewellery worth several million renminbi over the years. Behind those purchases are many conversations, repeated choices and relationships that have grown into friendship.
Meili values the reassurance that clients feel when they place their ideas in the team’s hands. It is a kind of trust earned patiently, and cared for just as carefully.
Read a client’s story ↗
THE NEXT CHAPTER / THE UNITED KINGDOM
From China to the UK. With beauty and confidence.
I hope every woman finds beauty she loves, and the confidence to shape the life she wants.