Where to spend it
It has started to rain and two men laying a slab of exquisite marble at the entrance of Diamonds International's new flagship store at Portomaso run indoors for shelter. Outside, sales and marketing director Karl Micallef is pacing up and down as he...
It has started to rain and two men laying a slab of exquisite marble at the entrance of Diamonds International's new flagship store at Portomaso run indoors for shelter. Outside, sales and marketing director Karl Micallef is pacing up and down as he discusses progress on his iPhone.
It is 10 days to opening and, although he admits later he is losing sleep over Classic Group's ambitious project, he is confident it will all come together in time for the inauguration ceremony next Wednesday evening.
The store is over a year in the making. After extensive research travel, the floor plans were drawn up. Last January, most of the interior of what was known as the Luxe Pavilion was demolished to make way for what the jeweller is billing as "the new home of luxury". At 500 square metres of retail space, this is the largest fine jewellery store in Malta and one of the largest in the Mediterranean. The internal display area totals 100 linear metres; externally there is 50 metres of exhibition space.
Pieces by over 30 of the world's most renowned, high end brands will be on display on two floors in more than 150 white leather showcases. State of the art, LED lighting - alone, an investment of over €250,000, Mr Micallef says - will pick out the sparkle of the items on display, framed by brass set in rich plane wood furniture.
Mr Micallef, a gemmologist by training, says the end result is the work of a five-man design team, and experts from Florence and Venice. The stairs and columns have been cut from blocks of Navona marble, only some of which has been polished.
"Only natural materials have been used because Diamonds International deals in what is natural - diamonds, gold and time," Mr Micallef points out.
He will not be drawn into the extent of the investment but it is obvious no expense has been spared to exult the luxury of the precious items and to provide a superlative retail experience.
Hence two private VIP rooms: one business-like for buyers of investment diamonds; another, warm and relaxing for customers after a new Vacheron Costantin or Cartier. In the latter, extractors have been installed, just in case gentlemen or ladies would like to light up as they mull their purchase or succumb to the temptation of the eight globally unique timepieces on display there. The store even features a library of brand reference material and latest news and information in design house publications.
"The Diamonds International store on Republic Street could not provide the discretion some of our regular, more demanding clients were seeking," Mr Micallef explains. "Buyers investing in jewellery and watches merit privacy and security, and these premises have been designed to accommodate those needs. The boutique has also been designed to offer private shopping.
"The aim behind this project is to provide clients with time to themselves. We hope they enjoy the time they spend browsing, admiring and considering a purchase here. And that is whether clients have a budget of €1,000 or €100,000. All clients are guaranteed the same attentive, non-intrusive service."
Diamonds International has handpicked experienced staff from Classic Group's human resources to put together a 15-member team that will run the store under Mr Micallef's supervision. The ten on the shop floor have been trained in-house and overseas by brand houses including Piaget and Mikimoto.
The opening of the store will also serve to introduce Diamonds International's latest additions to its portfolio: Chaumet, currently running the romantic 'Catch me if you love me' campaign; MC, a jewellery line created by the Maria Callas Association in Venice and MCMC in Milan in honour of the diva; and Glashuette, one of former East Germany's legendary watchmakers.
The Diamonds International store is guaranteed additional patronage, thanks to its opening just before the crucial Christmas period and new clients will undoubtedly be won over by the opulence of the ambience.
The real test will come next year when economic prospects are not rosy.
"I have learned a lot from my father-in-law Paul Fenech, the group chairman," Mr Micallef explains. Just after September 11 in 2001, they almost cancelled considerable orders from overseas but in the end brushed fear aside and ploughed on.
He says Mr Fenech has taught him that the only way to beat the lean times is through hard work and perseverance.
"You know," he reflects, "if a man sets out to buy his wife a diamond, he will buy a diamond. In reality, sales of our high-end brands continue to grow.
"We are fully committed to our brands, which is one of the reasons why the store resembles a permanent exhibition that is very carefully curated. From a venture that started in a small outlet in Republic Street in 2000, here we are, eight years later, close to completing a rare retail formula. We have been working towards this all along. This has been the Diamonds International long-term dream."
It's hard not to believe in his enthusiasm. Luxury, after all, is what everyone's dreams are made of.
No matter the climate.
It is 10 days to opening and, although he admits later he is losing sleep over Classic Group's ambitious project, he is confident it will all come together in time for the inauguration ceremony next Wednesday evening.
The store is over a year in the making. After extensive research travel, the floor plans were drawn up. Last January, most of the interior of what was known as the Luxe Pavilion was demolished to make way for what the jeweller is billing as "the new home of luxury". At 500 square metres of retail space, this is the largest fine jewellery store in Malta and one of the largest in the Mediterranean. The internal display area totals 100 linear metres; externally there is 50 metres of exhibition space.
Pieces by over 30 of the world's most renowned, high end brands will be on display on two floors in more than 150 white leather showcases. State of the art, LED lighting - alone, an investment of over €250,000, Mr Micallef says - will pick out the sparkle of the items on display, framed by brass set in rich plane wood furniture.
Mr Micallef, a gemmologist by training, says the end result is the work of a five-man design team, and experts from Florence and Venice. The stairs and columns have been cut from blocks of Navona marble, only some of which has been polished.
"Only natural materials have been used because Diamonds International deals in what is natural - diamonds, gold and time," Mr Micallef points out.
He will not be drawn into the extent of the investment but it is obvious no expense has been spared to exult the luxury of the precious items and to provide a superlative retail experience.
Hence two private VIP rooms: one business-like for buyers of investment diamonds; another, warm and relaxing for customers after a new Vacheron Costantin or Cartier. In the latter, extractors have been installed, just in case gentlemen or ladies would like to light up as they mull their purchase or succumb to the temptation of the eight globally unique timepieces on display there. The store even features a library of brand reference material and latest news and information in design house publications.
"The Diamonds International store on Republic Street could not provide the discretion some of our regular, more demanding clients were seeking," Mr Micallef explains. "Buyers investing in jewellery and watches merit privacy and security, and these premises have been designed to accommodate those needs. The boutique has also been designed to offer private shopping.
"The aim behind this project is to provide clients with time to themselves. We hope they enjoy the time they spend browsing, admiring and considering a purchase here. And that is whether clients have a budget of €1,000 or €100,000. All clients are guaranteed the same attentive, non-intrusive service."
Diamonds International has handpicked experienced staff from Classic Group's human resources to put together a 15-member team that will run the store under Mr Micallef's supervision. The ten on the shop floor have been trained in-house and overseas by brand houses including Piaget and Mikimoto.
The opening of the store will also serve to introduce Diamonds International's latest additions to its portfolio: Chaumet, currently running the romantic 'Catch me if you love me' campaign; MC, a jewellery line created by the Maria Callas Association in Venice and MCMC in Milan in honour of the diva; and Glashuette, one of former East Germany's legendary watchmakers.
The Diamonds International store is guaranteed additional patronage, thanks to its opening just before the crucial Christmas period and new clients will undoubtedly be won over by the opulence of the ambience.
The real test will come next year when economic prospects are not rosy.
"I have learned a lot from my father-in-law Paul Fenech, the group chairman," Mr Micallef explains. Just after September 11 in 2001, they almost cancelled considerable orders from overseas but in the end brushed fear aside and ploughed on.
He says Mr Fenech has taught him that the only way to beat the lean times is through hard work and perseverance.
"You know," he reflects, "if a man sets out to buy his wife a diamond, he will buy a diamond. In reality, sales of our high-end brands continue to grow.
"We are fully committed to our brands, which is one of the reasons why the store resembles a permanent exhibition that is very carefully curated. From a venture that started in a small outlet in Republic Street in 2000, here we are, eight years later, close to completing a rare retail formula. We have been working towards this all along. This has been the Diamonds International long-term dream."
It's hard not to believe in his enthusiasm. Luxury, after all, is what everyone's dreams are made of.
No matter the climate.