By ELLEN READ
A Russian jewellery company is about to open its first shop in New Zealand.
The Treasure House (Jewelirny Dom) in Auckland's Chancery will open in early July, once its stock arrives from Ekaterinburg in Russia's Ural mountains.
Director Iakov Lembrikov is from that region and is friends with the
Treasure House's owners - hence the Auckland shop.
The Treasure House has been part of the Russian jewellery scene for 10 years, combining the high quality gems of the Ural region with top craftwork.
It has 16 shops - in Russia, Israel, America and Canada - and three factories in Ekaterinburg.
Lembrikov said the owners had wanted to expand into this part of the world for some time.
They also plan to open stores in Wellington and Christchurch.
Lembrikov has a business background, having been involved in food manufacturing for several years.
He and office manager Oxana Tomaza have spent the past three months overseeing renovations to the new store. They plan to add more staff when the shop opens.
The aim was to retain the Treasure House image and quality but be relevant to a New Zealand market.
The store has an elegant blue decor, but differs from the Russian shops, which are much more ornate and often have semi-precious gems embedded in the floor and walls
Lembrikov hired a local designer to make sure the Chancery shop would appeal to New Zealand customers. Before deciding on the site, he researched which area of the city would suit the store's target market.
Part of the task facing Lembrikov and Tomaza to ensure the success of the shop is educating customers about the history of Ekaterinburg and the Urals - making sure they know its reputation for rare, sometimes unique, gems and high-quality jewellery. Princess Diana was known to have ordered stones from the region.
The Russian owners select the range for the store and organise sending it to Auckland - taking a lot of the hassle and red tape out of the process for Lembrikov.
He will not even know the prices until the stock arrives.
The range of gold, platinum, and palladium items with diamonds, amethysts, pearls and sapphires are intended for those with money. One necklace contains 1000 diamonds and costs about $68,000.
A more affordable range will be sold through other outlets once the flagship store is established.
The Treasure House
