Lorenz Baumer was the pioneer of this jewelry revolution. A product of his time, he was born in Washington, where his father, a German by birth, served as a diplomat. He came to Paris only at the age of sixteen, having previously lived with his family in the Middle East and Canada. The French mother was a porcelain painter, and Lorenz helped her by studying at the École Centrale, the oldest and most prestigious Parisian engineering university.
In parallel with the development of his own brand, Lorenz was an unnamed member of the design teams of Cartier, Breguet and Piaget, worked with crystal in Baccarat and porcelain in Bernardaud, invented for Guerlain a gold lipstick case Le Rouge G. From 1989 to 2007 he created jewelry and jewelry for Chanel, and from 2009 to 2015 he was Artistic Director of Fine Jewelery at Louis Vuitton. In 2010 he was awarded the highest award of France, the Order of the French Legion.
The most distinctive feature of Lorenz’s work is an exquisite sense of balance. His pieces do not produce a mixed impression, despite the geometric motifs scattered in all directions. Rather, the perfect beauty stands out, which creates the feeling that there is no other possible location.
In addition, Baumer is also good at designing, many of his works are transformers: his pendant earrings can change length at the request of the hostess, and pendants and necklaces turn into brooches, and moreover, often rings have a movable structure. There is even a brooch with a flower hole, allowing you to create a new look every day.
The main thing for which Lorenz is famous is work on a special order. From New York, Dubai, London and Palm Beach, premium clients fly to him, with whom he has many hours of conversations: he finds out their preferences down to their favorite dish and wine. This is necessary for the piece to be so “personal” that, even when it is just lying in the case, there is no doubt about who its owner is. He absolutely denies such a thing as fashion trends based only on what suits an individual person.
Jewelry has its own subtleties: some stones are revealed on brunettes, others on blondes. The shape and color of the face is very important. Most often, women know exactly what suits them. What they may sometimes not know is which “structure” on which earrings “fits” best. At this point, yes, I can help. Pink gemstones suit tanned girls, but yellow shades suit them even more. If you have blue eyes, it would be good to choose a stone that could echo with them. Pink and red stones are suitable for brunettes. We are in constant search of harmony with the face.
Ironically, Lorenz’s work also attracts conservative audiences. In a blind selection among the jewelers of the Place Vendome, he bypassed eminent brands and got the right to decorate Princess Charlene of Monaco on her wedding day. She liked Lorenz’s more informal style. Baumer presented three designs and the latter was refined to become not one but several different pieces of jewelry. The tiara can be worn in hair or as a smaller hair clip, or even over the shoulder as a single or double hair clip.
The asymmetrical design was inspired by Charlene’s love of the sea, while the splash of diamonds is the foam on the crest of the wave. It’s a clean, modern design that at first glance might be a more classic sheaf of wheat tiara. The splash effect of seawater is created by setting diamonds of various shapes in white gold rods. Baguette, pear and round cuts are used. Through the use of different shapes of stones, new and unexpected effects are created that change with each movement, just like a wave is in constant motion and emits light in different directions. The tips of the white gold rods are set with 11 pear-cut diamonds, the largest of which weighs eight carats.
Lorenz, and in the release of new products, departed from the path of large, conservative and, accordingly, clumsy jewelry brands. He produces 2-3 small collections a year, recently using various innovative solutions and materials more and more often. For example, in the collection 2018-2019 “Reflection” titanium is actively used in the upper part of the products, which allows the stones and rays of light to be reflected, creating unique effects. Of course, Baumer is often asked why a modern lady can wear such exquisite jewelry.
