OHLALA Spotlight

So who is Lorenz Bäumer?

He’s many people, it seems. A graduate of the École Centrale de Paris, Lorenz is most definitely an engineer. He’s passionate about making sure his designs work. But he is a designer too. He creates things that have a purpose, whether imaginative pieces of jewellery, swords for the French Academy, furniture, perfume bottles or lipstick. And he’s obviously a jeweller. His knowledge of gemstones is second to none. Citrine, chocolate diamonds and orange sapphires, anyone?

His background might be familiar to many living in Qatar. The son of diplomats, he knows all about moving from country to country and is familiar with this lifestyle’s challenges. “You don’t speak the language,” he says. “You don’t know the culture. Starting from scratch each time made me realise that you have to be interested in other people; you have to listen. And I think that’s an important part of what we do – being curious.” Lorenz is very clear on this point. He’s a jewellery designer who really cares what his guests think and want from him. Their feelings and emotions are the starting point when creating something genuinely bespoke. Where does he get his ideas from?

“There’s no real recipe for having ideas,” replies Lorenz. Instead, he seems to find inspiration everywhere. When his imagination was fired by an ancient navigational instrument, the result was the Architecte Astrolabe Ring – a black opal that spins among a whirl of diamonds and sapphires of every colour, all set in white gold.

And then there are his famous tattooed diamonds. What inspired them?

Lorenz smiles. He thinks tattoos are really fun – but he doesn’t have any himself because he would get bored. And as he prefers images that are super sharp, he realised that a laser could be used to mark diamonds precisely. So he designs the tattoo, scans it, and a laser beam heats up the diamond. The result is a really fun way to wear a tattoo whenever you like.

Lorenz is visibly excited about the collaboration with Printemps and is looking forward to bringing his jewellery and creativity to Doha. “It’s so inspiring here,” he says. “There are different customs and different ways of wearing things.” He loves the jewellery culture in the Middle East, where he feels people wear pieces without being intimidated by them. And the fact that people here also know all about stones, too.

Perhaps the most novel stones Lorenz uses in his jewellery are meteorites – rocks that have fallen from space to our planet, lighting up the sky as shooting stars as they blaze through the atmosphere.

After meeting Lorenz Bäumer, it’s clear that they aren’t the only stars around here.

For more information on Lorenz Bäumer exclusive pieces, please call 3018 2685.

@printempsdoha