‘Clef de Mon Coeur’ tattooed diamond ring. Image credit: Natural Diamond Council
The Natural Diamond Council’s Only Natural Diamonds is spotlighting artist and designer Lorenz Baumer, who has dedicated his career to 'transforming women into princesses' through diamonds.
Throughout his decades-long career, Mr. Baumer served as the jewelry artistic director of Chanel, launched Louis Vuitton’s first jewelry line in 2007, and now claims fame as the only independent jeweler nestled amongst the headquarters of many major houses in the center of Paris. In highlighting the meticulous and artistic nature of Mr. Baumer's lifelong work, The Natural Diamond Council continues in its mission to advance the integrity and value of the natural diamond industry.
Standing out
Since he was a child, Mr. Baumer has been enamored by diamonds and the eccentricity of jewelry design. When Mr. Baumer was young, he would watch his mother get dressed up for different parties and outings, donning fine jewelry.
“She wouldn’t be my mom anymore, she was a princess,” he recalls in the NDC vignette. “I always wanted to turn women into princesses—to make them feel good about themselves.”
Addressing the audience from inside his eclectic atelier at 19 Place Vendome in Paris, Mr. Baumer offers a glimpse of his studio and what inspired his passion for jewelry making. As the son of diplomats, he grew up in different parts of the world, absorbing culture and beauty that would ultimately inspire his jewelry.
“A diamond is the hardest, strongest, whitest stone and it reflects and sparkles more than any other gem,” he says. “I use diamonds as a way to paint with light.
“I love taking round diamonds and fat baguettes and mixing them with shiny gold,” he says.
Princess Charlene de Monaco wearing the ‘Ecume de Diamants’ Tiara and Lorenz Baumer photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. Image credit: Natural Diamond Council
In 2010, Mr. Baumer entered a competition to create a diamond tiara for Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock’s wedding to Prince Albert II of Monaco. He won the contest with a creation that he calls ‘Ecume de Diamants.’
Equally modern and opulent, the crown paid tribute to the bride’s love of water, flaunting round and elongated diamonds laid out on thin strands of white gold, achieving fluidity.
In the video, Ms. Baumer expresses his love for the personal interaction he has with each client that enters the store and especially loves creating custom pieces.
“For me, it is all about the ties you have with the people that love you and that you love,” he says. “It’s about loving yourself!”
Lorenz Baumer: Jewelry Designer, Dreamer, Artist
The mission of the Natural Diamond Council is to promote the integrity of the modern diamond jewelry industry and inspire, educate and protect its consumers.
As the NDC’s consumer facing brand, Only Natural Diamonds is aimed at inspiring and informing consumers globally about the values and heritage of natural diamonds, as well as promoting the significant innovation occurring in the world of diamond jewelry (see story).
Art behind the jewels
While fashion design and architecture have historically been examined within the realm of fine art, jewelry has oftentimes been overlooked. Fine jewelry has been glorified on red carpets, at royal events and in many high-value auctions, securing its place as an exceptional and particularly coveted accessory, but rarely seems to fall among the ranks of fine art.
In a panel discussion on Nov. 30, 2020 hosted by collector and entrepreneur Marjorie Gubelmann and sponsored by auction house Christie’s, jewelry experts spoke about art and innovation within the high jewelry industry ahead of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels live auction. Through an examination of pieces highlighted in Melanie Grant’s Coveted, the panelists discussed some of the most innovative creations in jewelry design and what makes these pieces not only coveted objects but works of art (see story).
Italian jeweler Bulgari shared a detailed examination of its watchmaking process in a video series that puts its experts in the forefront.
"Crafting Time" was the first video series from Bulgari to offer an inside look at the brand’s in-house watchmaking experts. As consumers become more values-driven, Bulgari invites affluent watch fanatics to discover various elements of the brand’s timepieces, from creative direction to grandes complication and dial painting to gems setting, explained by the people who make them (see story).