New look for Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli’s new store, nestled in KwaZulu-Natal’s Kloof, is a treat for anyone who appreciates thoughtful decor and interior design.

The store combines old and new, and was born out of a collaboration between interior designer Jan Botha, marketing guru Neil Roake and store owner and jewellery designer Joanne Raw.

Joanne wanted to keep some elements of her original shop but also wanted to introduce a more contemporary feel. “The look is clean and simple with a touch of quirkiness,” she says. “It has updated the shop, but also brought the past with it. Most importantly, it has given the jewellery space to breathe.”

Tones of white set a clean, fresh background and parquet flooring brought from the old shop creates detail on the ceiling and back wall. The reused parquet brings its own history and memories.

Joanne started Lapis Luzili in 1994, creating pieces that fuse jewellery and nature. Gemstones from South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia, Brazil, Mexico and India dazzle in silver settings. The new store really shows off her handiwork. An old grandfather clock now used as a display case and the large, 5m “specimen-style” glass cabinets are her personal favourites.

The new interior of Lapis Luzli reflects the brand and what it stands for. “I take great pride in the fact that my jewellery is crafted using only natural gemstones,” says Joanne. “I don’t use any synthetic, coloured or treated stones, which are so prevalent in the market. The simple natural elements of the interior like the unvarnished wood, glass, and cement all add to this ideal.”

More information: lapis@telkomsa.net, +27 (0)31 764 4970