Lama Hourani, the Shanghai-based Jordanian fine jewelry designer, is embarking on a new journey in Shanghai by opening its first freestanding store.

Hourani, a nomad at heart, is known for her bold designs that redefine her Arab heritage, her artistic upbringing — her family founded one of Jordan’s very first private galleries in the 1990s — and her vision to blend commercial appeal with cultural significance.

Universal themes such as unity, love, femininity, and human connections are distilled into statement pieces, often with a geometric bent, that are priced between 1,000 to 11,500 euros.

Over a year in the making, the “multi-sensory destination” shop sits on a quiet stretch of Yueyang Road, a part of Shanghai’s Hengfu Historic and Cultural Preservation Area, also known as the Former French Concession.

“I fell in love with this street; it’s so quiet, it’s elegant, and it’s one of the few streets with no electrical wires welded all over, melted all over, including in between the trees,” Hourani said. “This new chapter is a strategic evolution for the brand.

“While our studios have historically been tucked into intimate, hidden settings, the Shanghai space balances commercial accessibility with the intrigue of discovery,” she added.

According to the designer, “Shanghai represents a bridge between the brand’s Middle Eastern roots and Asia’s dynamic creative pulse. By anchoring here, we’re positioning Lama Hourani as a ‘global curator of interconnected narratives’ where fashion, art, and architecture converge.”

Calling the space Beit, which means house in Arabic, she focused on such materials as terra cotta, marble and cement. Hourani said the deliberately stripped back space, including its naked walls, the building’s original wooden bare ceilings, the furniture and artworks she designed, including a rose marble cabinet of poetry and her curated library of design monographs, is meant to evoke “experimental storytelling” and invite guests to linger and explore.

Nearby, jewelry is displayed in cabinets inspired by circular Chinese dining tables — a symbolic nod to “a gathering of senses and emotions” at the heart of her fine jewelry design.

Hourani’s personal story also unfolds alongside contemporary art within her collection. Pieces from female Chinese artists, including Lin Fanglu, Jun Ting, and Fu Xiaotong, are displayed next to a series of Hourani’s latest sculptural works and her signature Lova Wall. Created with the help of her young twins, the piece incorporates the Chinese character for love and serves as a gentle reminder of its ever-evolving nature.

The Lama Hourani Bait store is open to the public seven days a week.

Ahead of Beit’s launch, Hourani opened her first pop-up at Beijing’s luxury shopping mall SKP, which she aptly calls “the Lama Hourani Room.”

“It’s a miniature store with our hand-crafted love wall, sculptural elements and signature colors in addition to our expandable round abundance cabinet that is inspired by a Chinese dining table,” said Hourani.

Hourani’s most recognizable design is the side rock rings. By off-setting the central stone to nestle between two fingers, Hourani wants to put emphasis on the wearer and have the stone become one with the hand. The design, more comfortable in nature, also helped Hourani resonate in the Chinese market, one now driven by niche preferences and pursuits.

In addition, one of her bestsellers is a minimal piece from the Tangled Collection. An open-sided pentagonal form that adds asymmetry to the finger, even a sense of movement when stacked, the ring distills the story of “when people form relationships, how the magic happens,” Hourani explained.

Hourani’s love of open rings also signifies room for personal growth within a relationship. “My sister asked me to make her an open ring, but she looked at it and said, this is broken, you are breaking them apart, but this is actually the space where we can be ourselves, where we can grow and connect, and be more connected than ever,” explained Hourani.

After spending the last four years in Shanghai, Hourani will embark on a new journey in Rome. This summer, she is relocating with her husband Ramon Ros, an LVMH executive, and her twins.

Opening a store in Shanghai months before heading to Europe thus becomes a testament of her commitment to the Chinese market — a strategic anchor before she embraces her Rome future when she can fully embody her preferred itinerant lifestyle.

“I made a choice very early on that I wanted my company to be portable and have no geographic limits. The minute you open your mind up to that, everything is possible,” said Hourani.