Jewelry Store
Henri Noël Jewelry Store: Naples Florida
A New Direction for Curved Stone Design
Exploring a new application of natural stone through an ultra thin surface, Luminous stone designed for a high end retail store Henri Noël in Florida. The project called for a solid block-look with rounded sculptural appearance. Something that feels carved, substantial and luxurious without a huge weight or waste of traditional stone block.
This was a great opportunity to push natural stone into a more flexible, experimental direction. Combining 1mm thin stone with matching 20mm stone from the same block, Luminous Stone created a seamless relationship between a curved surface and countertop.
This resulted in a custom jewelry store feature that felt warm, inviting, continuous and refined, while also showcasing the possibilities of natural stone used in a more innovative way.
Stone Selection: Alpi Verde Stone
Using Natural Alpi Verde Stone, the feature was processed into an ultra-thin 1mm large sheet format. This material allowed real natural stone to be applied around a curved surface. This opens up the design possibility that a standard stone slab cannot achieve.
Thicker 20mm pieces could also be cut for the countertops and other surfaces, sourced from the same block. This allowed different stone dimensions to be used throughout the same project which gave us the ability to maintain perfect matching through a visual appearance.
A Seamless Solid Block Appearance
For this project, the client wanted the design to feel like one solid piece, carved form for a high end experience. The goal was to design something that looked substantial and sculptured, with a rounded appearance as to look intentional, elevated and fully integrated.
This type of innovation came from achieving a specific look without relying on a fully carved solid block. Natural stone cannot typically be curved in its natural slab state. Carving an entire piece from a solid stone would be heavy, expensive, wasteful and inefficient for its intended purpose.
Precision Through CAD and Water Jet Cutting
CAD design and water jet cutting played an important role in creating the rounded countertop corners from the 20mm thick matching stone. This method is what allowed the thicker stone elements to support the same soft, curved design as the ultra-thin 1mm surfaces.
Digital design, precision cutting, and material experimentation is the combination that helped create a seamless integration between the natural stone surfaces. Each part of the design process focused on connection, rather than simple assembly of separate material.
Built in Cambridge, Shipped to Naples
This project was unique because the entire unit was built in Cambridge and shipped completely intact to Naples, Florida. No on-site assembly was required, which makes fabrication and transportation extremely important.
Our biggest technical challenge was packaging and shipping. The unit had to be carefully protected through transportation while maintaining the precision of the finished stone surfaces, the curved forms and matching material detailing.
What This Makes Possible; real innovation
This is a project that represents more than a one-off custom feature. Luminous Stone demonstrates the ability to apply real natural stone around curved surfaces while also using a thicker matching stone, using the same block of countertops, edges, and other functional areas.
This opens the door for future curved stone features and designs like desks, furniture, sculpted features, and backlit applications. Luminous Stone has already created samples using translucent 1mm curved stone. This allows natural stone to be curved and paired with illumination for future decorative and architectural pieces. This is a huge door opener for future design applications.