To become a customer of Lorenz Baumer is no small feat and can sometimes be a daunting experience in itself. In his extravagant Place Vendôme salon - for which he has designed and created all the crystal, bronze, straw and shagreen furnishings - he first spends hours listening to and “interviewing” prospective clients, who may have specially flown in from New York, Dubaï, Palm Beach, London or Rome, so as to uncover their personal world. His ultimate goal is “to design jewellery that is so distinctive to the individual that even if they are not wearing it, one could know whom it belongs to”. In order to do this, he feels he must know everything about them - even their sense of humour and favourite foods.

The result is usually quite spectacular and his most unusual pieces, often inspired by nature, include a ripe tomato ring in rich red jasper; a jade leek brooch with multicoloured sapphires; a diamond pavé skull with a serpent going through it; diamond-sparkling strawberry ear-rings, and a golden bee that seems to have just landed on a ruby lip-shaped ring.

Some of Baümer’s work is also influenced by his love of surfing and of the ocean. There are rings in the shape of waves swirling around a diamond or a pearl; thin diamond pavé ropes shaped like sailor’s knots wrapped around sea-coloured gems, and a yellow and white diamond ring in the shape of two entwined sea snakes.

His quest for perfection and uniqueness sometimes take him to the most remote areas of the globe in search of the most beautiful and astounding gems. Yet he also likes variety and surprise and may very well include tiger’s eye, rhodochrosite, jade or a simple pebble picked up on a sandy beach. Colours, materials, textures, shapes and the clever use of light reflection are all part of the alchemy which makes a Lorenz Baümer creation.

An avid sportsman and lover of art, Lorenz Baumer’s path to jewellery design is as unexpected as is much of his jewellery. He initially trained as an engineer in Paris, but after helping his mother, a porcelain painter, create jewellery he became hooked. He then launched his own line of costume jewellery as well as one-of-a-kind furniture, before successfully turning to fine jewellery and becoming the icon he is today.

His talent was quickly spotted by some of the most prestigious international luxury brands and although few know it, Lorenz Baümer is the creator behind a number of their jewellery collections, watch designs, perfume bottles and gift items.

As he puts it: “Fine jewellery is the highest, purest form of luxury and as such it is able to lift a brand on to a new level of elegance and exclusivity”.

In addition to his exclusive, one-off orders and the work commissioned by other companies, Lorenz Baümer designs a number of limited series of fine jewellery with names such as gardener, poet, or architect, which are exhibited and sold exclusively in his Paris salon. He works with a team of nine specialists and his designs are produced in some of the finest workshops in Paris, combining both the highest-quality traditional craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology.

It is a testament to his talent that four of his pieces of jewellery are part of the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

LORENZ BÄUMER
4, Place Vendôme
75001 Paris
France
Tel: +33 1 42 86 99 33
Fax : +33 1 42 86 99 44
www.lorenzbaumer.com