Maison Korloff reopens the doors to its flagship boutique in Dubai Mall, UAE, with its pièce de résistance — the black diamond on display.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with EM, Bassam Azakir, CEO of Korloff Paris talks about the newest store, the history of the black diamond and the journey of the brand so far.
As a Parisian diamantaire, how do you retain the history and heritage of the diamond while giving it a contemporary design?
At Maison Korloff, we have a unique advantage as both jewelers and diamantaires — allowing us to constantly draw inspiration from the magical allure of diamonds while imbuing our designs with a modern, clean, and stylized aesthetic. Our connection with diamonds dates back to the acquisition of the black nugget le Karloff, which was temporarily owned by renowned Antwerp diamond merchants before our founder, Daniel Paillasseur, a French gemstone broker, was captivated by its beauty and decided to acquire it — naming his Maison after it in 1978.
The newly renovated store, how different or similar it is from the previous version and what’s new in store for shoppers this time around?
I am thrilled to share with you that our newly renovated store offers a unique experience for our clients. Our aim was to create a harmonious space that embodies our idea of refined luxury, which is about understated elegance.
The boutique features a sleek and modern design that pays tribute to Art deco – could you elaborate a little on this?
The store’s interior has been designed with a neutral color palette, subtly enhanced with bronze and gold metallic touches to create a luxurious yet serene atmosphere. Our clients will be transported to a world of tranquility, where they can slow down and escape the noise of the outside world. We have also created a special VIP lounge that offers a more intimate experience. Here, our guests can relax and indulge. We are confident that our newly renovated store will be a place where our customers will feel at home and find their perfect piece of jewellery.
The Korloff boutique
To celebrate the launch of the flagship, you unveiled the exclusive Korloff black diamond – what about it makes it so special?
The Korloff black diamond is a truly special and unique gem that holds great significance for our Maison. This diamond is associated with the cosmos and is a sign of an ordering force over the chaos of matter, making it a sacred symbol. The diamond itself is a rare cosmic wonder, formed in the explosion of a star into a supernova nearly four billion years ago. It was discovered by the Korloff-Sapojnikoff family, members of the Russian nobility, and has been passed down through generations. The diamond is said to bring good fortune and prosperity to those who come close to it. Our founder, Daniel Paillasseur, was enchanted by the diamond’s spell and acquired it. It took eighteen months to cut the exceptionally hard stone down to eighty-eight carats and reveal its mysterious luster, which is at once somber, metallic, and uniquely obscure. The Korloff black diamond is a symbol of the magic and inspiration that fuels our Maison. Normally, it is stored safely in Paris and is taken out only for special occasions. We were grateful to have the opportunity to showcase it for the launch celebration of our flagship in Dubai.
The black diamond
What are the different collections that will house in the newest boutique?
Crafted with the highest level of attention to detail and quality, the Dubai boutique will showcase key collections like the Eclat collection which is inspired by the Louvre pyramid. Maison Korloff has captured the modernity and unique brilliance of the architecture through the pieces. Korlove, our “Rockmantic” collection which embodies the excellence of gold sculptor with a stylized 3D heart motif. The Saint-Petersbourg collection that cleverly uses materials and colours to tell the story of Maison Korloff.
Maison Korloff offers a bespoke jewelery service where collectors can have pieces designed and crafted to exact specifications – tell us about this unique service specific to the brand?
I am delighted to speak about our bespoke jewellery service which is one of our brand’s unique offerings. We take pride in providing our discerning clients with the opportunity to have their jewellery designed and crafted to their exact specifications. It is our responsibility as a luxury Maison to offer this service, and we consider it our privilege to do so. Our expert diamantaires collaborate with our skilled jewellers to create stunning pieces that fulfill the client’s desires and bring their vision to life.
Korloff’s jewellery collections
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