Anyone hoping for a haircut or a close shave at Barbearia Campos, the barbershop that opened its doors in 1886 in the heart of the Largo do Chiado neighborhood of Lisbon, will sadly need to look elsewhere. One can, however, try on or purchase an array of jewelry rooted in Portuguese craftsmanship instead.
A tonsorial gathering spot through the 19th and early 20th centuries for literary notables such as Fernando Pessoa and Eça de Queiroz and artists like Almada Negreiros, the barbershop had struggled with financial problems, finally turning off its clippers and shutting off the lights in 2023.
After a six-month renovation, Portugal Jewels, a family-owned fine jewelry brand, opened there in May. It is the business’s first flagship, joining its store at Lisbon Airport, its online shop and some sales points in museums and stores.
The creation was spearheaded by Joana and Alexandre Gomes, siblings who have been the business’s managing partners since 2017. They said their paramount goal was to weave together the Barbearia Campos story with that of their company, founded in 1990 by their mother, Rosa Amélia Barbosa.
“We wanted the consumer to understand that the past and the present can coexist in the same place,” said Ms. Gomes, 40, who leads the brand’s creative direction.
Mr. Gomes, 42, who focuses on business growth, echoed his sister’s sentiments: “Our goal was to create a boutique that serves as a cultural showcase for our jewelry while preserving key elements of the barbershop.”
It was a place that Mr. Gomes knew well. “I would come here from time to time to get my hair cut,” he said. “This place was already part of our story. It’s been waiting for us.”
Portugal Jewels is best known for its filigree work: lightweight, lacelike pieces created by hand from silver or gold wires (in Portugal, 19.2-karat gold is considered standard for jewelry). The brand also uses recycled sterling silver, freshwater pearls and responsibly sourced colored stones, said Mr. Gomes, “and when the opportunity arises, will create one-of-a-kind pieces in gold and precious stones.”
“Each piece is created in Gondomar, a small town near Porto where we were born,” he said, explaining that the brand works exclusively with 12 small, family-run goldsmith workshops. The Gomeses employ 20 people: nine in the store and 11 in the brand’s headquarters on Avenida Almirante Gago Coutinho, one of Lisbon’s large avenues.
Before the renovation of the barbershop began last fall, its hair-washing stations and benches for waiting customers were removed from the 40-square-meter (430-square-foot) space. But LADO, the Lisbon architectural firm that led the project, retained several elements from the original décor, including the marble counter, six large wall mirrors and two antique barber chairs.
Part of the floor’s original tile work was untouched. “We loved the Portuguese tiling, which is known as mosaico hidráulico, or cement-colored tiles,” said Mr. Gomes of the original salmon, gray and black flooring pattern. “We custom-designed new tiles for the right side of the store in blue, purchased from the original manufacturer, to match the existing pattern while creating a new feel.”
The walls on the store’s right side were also painted in a custom blue that Mr. Gomes said evoked the Portuguese sea and sky and was inspired by International Klein Blue, the bold color mixed by the French artist Yves Klein in the late 1950s.
A blue accent, too, was used for a custom-designed display and storage cabinet, which now showcases approximately 600 pieces of the brand’s jewelry.
Ms. Gomes said, “The displays tell an intentional story to the client when they enter.
“It starts with our collaborations,” she added, highlighting the brand’s partnership with Ana Moura, one of Portugal’s most popular fado singers, “then moves to our reimagined traditional pieces, like our Heart of Viana, which features a heart-shaped pendant with a distinctive crown on top. It’s a widely recognized and iconic symbol of Portugal.”
Other signature pieces include the extra large, gold-plated silver Queen Earrings, inspired by a 19th-century design ($220), and a four-centimeter (1.6-inch) 19.2-karat gold articulated pendant of a sardine, a nod to the country’s heritage and connection to the sea ($1,200).
For Mr. Gomes, the new store was an opportunity to rewrite the location’s past. “I believe that when you buy jewelry, you’re also buying a feeling and a memory. For our female customer, it was important to us that they were not coming into a man’s place,” he said, noting that Barbearia Campos had not allowed women in the shop. “We wanted to erase that old thinking and make women feel special.”
And the siblings said the new location was now a worthy reflection of their business.
“Before we had this space, there was no brand expansion; we were very limited in where we were represented, like museums and jewelry stores that focused on Portuguese culture and identity, and online or through stockists,” Ms. Gomes said. “This is giving our customers an experience tied to the jewelry and the location. It’s threading these two worlds together with each visit.”
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