Lorenz Bäumer plans to open boutique on Place Vendôme
PARIS, May 6, 2012 – Lorenz Bäumer, a luxury jeweller renowned for his themes of architecture, poetry and gardening, plans to open his first boutique on the Place Vendôme, the most prestigious address of Paris’s fine jewellers, either late this year or early next year.
In an interview with Jewellery Outlook, Bäumer said he expected an international as well as French clientele to shop at the new store to be located at the 18th Century Hôtel d’Evreux at 19 Place Vendôme, near the Ritz hotel and the Dubail boutique.
Bäumer, whose business is celebrating its 20th anniversary, expects an increase in footfall to the planned boutique, compared with visitors to his current design studio and showrooms at 4, Place Vendôme, and anticipates strong interest from Asian luxury shoppers.
“People who feel shy about coming up to our present premises, will feel more comfortable visiting the boutique,” Bäumer said.
The façade at Lorenz Bäumer’s current premises will be restored, the jeweller added.
“It is undergoing a restoration to give it its original 18th Century characteristics,” he said.
Bäumer said his brand is distinctive because it is extremely creative and broad within the family of themes of gardening, poetry and architecture; it breaks the rules, and it is geared towards new technologies.
Some of Bäumer’s latest pieces, on display in his showrooms, are inspired by unusual shapes in architecture, and have a geometric look.
“We are focusing on the architectural-poetic dimension,” the jeweller said.
“This comes from my training as an engineer.”
Much of Bäumer’s work follows a conversation with customers, often a couple, visiting his showrooms at 4, Place Vendôme by appointment.
Based on a discussion of what they are looking for, Bäumer sketches images on the spot.
Around half of Bäumer’s turnover is bespoke business.
Some of his pieces are displayed at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in the Louvre district of Paris.
Bäumer uses exceptional gemstones, and draws inspiration from technology and materials such as titanium which is a light metal that fits well into his cutting-edge jewellery designs.
He talked of his passion for outstanding gemstones.
Bäumer sources the exquisite stones used in his pieces from trade contacts around the world, from visits to trade fairs, and from old jewellery pieces.
“It’s about being in love with a stone,” he said.
He uses rare and exotic stones, such as tourmalines and colour diamonds.
“I love colour diamonds. They are some of the miracles of nature,” he said.
Bäumer said the global economic crisis had not dented business at the top end of the fine jewellery market, and talked of potential for strong growth in demand from Asian, notably Chinese, customers, some of whom would visit his planned boutique.
