With the opening of the new Bvlgari flagship store in Taipei 101, top-of-the-line international jewelers have established yet another massive foothold in Taiwan. The store certainly sets out to impress. With a floor space of over 100m2, a foyer laid with imported Italian marble and a 4.2m-high ceiling, you know from the moment you walk in that this is something special.
The atmosphere is elegant -- all the better to get you in the mood to part with your millions. Pearwood furniture, panels of maple, and on display, the superlative items of the Bvlgari-Bvlgari line, arranged in the store's trademark display cabinets.
Service of course is a key element at Bvlgari and centers around the company's client base, of which each and every person is treated as a VIP. More importantly, Bvlgari will undertake any technically feasible alterations a client may request, and all these alterations will be undertaken by Bvlgari's artisans in Rome.
Coco Chanel's store designs have long-since been established as classics. The Chinese lacquer screen, the Venetian black figurines, the Chinese bronze vessels and the chandeliers are all part of Chanel's unique air of luxury.
The service at Chanel seeks to achieve a high level of refinement and comfort. For customers interested in trying out various pieces of jewelry, these are "served up" by attendants, almost as if they were serving some delicate snack. And in fact refreshments are served as customers pick through the designs on offer. As with Bvlgari, alterations are all sent back to Europe, in this case to Chanel's head office in Paris.
Some of Chanel's most luxuriant offerings do the rounds between stores, and at the moment the 101 store is featuring the Anneaux Celestes orbit necklace together with the Nebuleuse and L'amour necklaces. All made with 18k white gold, they are adorned with a variety of precious stones, inlcuding sapphire, pink sapphire, aquamarine sapphire, diamond and blue diamonds, to name just a few.
Tiffany's flagship store in Taipei 101 was its fifth store to open in Taiwan and celebrated its opening last summer. The white and gray marble external wall of the extensive premises, together with the stainless-steel window frames, floor to ceiling marble decoration and natural wood interior, beautifully lit, give the Taipei 101 store an air of grandness one would expect for a flagship store, without losing that human touch.
Internet facilities are available in the private VIP rooms, allowing customers to surf the Net for information on precious stones to make sure they know exactly what it is they are buying. This store has the largest amount of gems in-store compared with any of the other Tiffany outlets in Taiwan. There are also instruments provided in the VIP rooms for customers to thoroughly examine the stones on offer. Elsewhere in the store, further after-sales services such as cleaning and repair are also available.
Not only can you find the most complete Tiffany collection in Taiwan in the flagship store, there is also the alluring idea of the Legacy engagement ring, every one of which is unique, either in terms of the carat count or the cut of the stone.
The Cartier "New Concept" store boasts a natural wood interior in a luxuriant setting that seems to extend forever. The elegance of France can be seen throughout the store from the floor itself to the display cases, the mirrors and even the waste bins. And with the black-veined marble, the brass labels and the huge curtains, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a mini-theater. The customer is greeted by an intricately-designed floor of creme-colored stone slivers and bronze inlay resembling a carpet. Once inside, you are virtually transported back to 18th-century France. Behind the natural wood panelling are countless concealed display drawers.
-- Translated by Ian Bartholomew and Paul Cooper
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