The new Kwiat flagship boutique translates the feel of its diamond jewelry into a retail setting

For a jewelry firm like Kwiat, it’s all about sparkle. Diamonds have been the Kwiat family’s stock in trade since 1908, so when the idea of opening a flagship boutique on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue presented itself two years ago, there was no question as to what mattered most in the design scheme.

“Diamonds are all about light, about the way they make light dance,” says Greg Kwiat, chief financial officer. “We wanted a wall treatment that had a similar optical effect. The silver leaf wall coverings play with the light. In general, you want the color scheme to be light, because you don’t want the surrounding environment to darken up the store and the stones.”

The 800-square-foot boutique the company chose opened in September with a launch event hosted by Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson. It is a warm, inviting space decked out in a color palette of grays, creams and light blues. The champagne-colored walls, featuring a textured pattern of “cut” horizontal lines, do precisely what Kwiat intended: They scatter light throughout the salon, whose most striking feature is a grand atrium with soaring, 18-foot ceilings. The interior design details, including dramatic sconces, accessories covered in gray shagreen and tiny pin-dots on the glass case borders, which invite customers to take a closer look, lend the space a modern Deco charm. It goes without saying that the Kwiat jewelry collection, a love letter to timeless, elegant design, contributes much to the overall vibe.

“The Kwiat aesthetic is classic,” Kwiat says. “We wanted the environment to feel comfortable, much like we want our jewelry to feel wearable, and for the space to feel warm, modern and contemporary.” The company hired the firm Barteluce Architects & Associates to translate those feelings into interior design terms. At the entrance, visitors pass beneath a low canopy into a room featuring two facing rows of custom-built displays, each outfitted with satin nickel, framing glass counters and smoky blue wood supporting the bases. In the back, near the bridal and vintage jewelry showcases, a large white marble staircase curls up, toward a cozy gallery on the mezzanine floor, where a desk festooned with white orchids and a bar outfitted with antique barware greet VIPs and celebrity guests.

The third-generation diamond jeweler had intended the New York flagship boutique to be its first store, but its salon in The Palazzo in Las Vegas opened ahead of schedule. The two locations represent Kwiat’s first foray into retail; instead of eyeing more stand-alone boutiques, the company hopes to create shop-in-shops with a select group of retail partners in the coming year.

“We feel good despite the economy,” Kwiat says. “Obviously, it’s a difficult time in general. We’ve been through difficult periods before, but they all eventually turned around and became periods of economic prosperity. My grandfather and great grandfather, when the Depression came, they not only survived but did well by focusing on their core business. With humility, we hope to have the same success.”