Highlights from Brazil’s jewellery design scene

Yellow gold and uncut quartz rings

Adriana Da Riva
Currently practising as an acclaimed architect (current clients include Balenciaga and Tom Ford) it is no surprise Da Riva’s jewellery is modern and graphic. Aside from placing large gems in minimal architectural settings, her signature is the ability to dismantle or add to her jewellery to change its look and function. The Sirius ring is an award-winning example of this.
www.adrianadariva.com.br

With huge natural resources at its disposal, it's no surprise that Brazil is a hotbed of jewellery talent. After all, the first explorers gave the state of Minas Gerais its name (Portuguese for 'general mines') for the very reason it yielded huge quantities of gemstones. Understandably, coloured stones are at the forefront of most designers' aesthetic, although the use of yellow gold and diamonds should not be ignored.

Envolvente earrings

Antonio Bernado
Undisputedly the leader in fashioning yellow gold into wearable, architectural pieces, Bernardo offers jewellery that is playful but with a grown-up aesthetic. Clever hinges that add movement, interlocking folds of gold, and tactile polished accents are his trademark, while his gallery style flagship store in Ipanema is worth a detour in its own right.
www.antoniobernardo.com.br

Wood, smoky quartz, drusy and gold vermeil cuff

Camila Sarpi
With her atelier in Sao Paolo, Sarpi is the jeweller of choice for Paulistanos. A relative newcomer to the jewellery scene, a career in fashion in New York helped shape her aesthetic. Sarpi’s integration of carved wooden discs in her pieces are of particular note, as are her fluid tactile rings.
www.camilasarpi.com

Cuba Libre earrings

Carla Amorim
Born in Brasilia, it’s no surprise that Amorim sites Oscar Niemeyer as one of her greatest influences. With seven stores in Brazil, and an international following her style is wide ranging, from architectural shapes to more organic softer pieces. Her adept use of yellow gold with a smattering of diamonds makes her a favourite among regular buyers.
www.carlaamorim.com

White agate earrings

Daniele Corrêa
Corrêa worked at Isabela Capeto before setting up on her own in 2006. Her rings are of particular note, setting large simply cut stones in pared down brushed yellow or white gold. The restrained treatment of large drops of onyx and agate in her earrings impart the pieces with an elegance that are also worth a look.
www.danielecorrea.com

Stool ring by Livia Canuto

Livia Canuto
Working predominantly in silver Livia Canuto has rapidly gained a following among those discerning collectors with a smaller budget. Quirky pieces such as her silver rose earrings, laser cut acrylic earrings and bangles fashioned from riveted cardboard nod to her background in industrial design. Book an appointment at her newly refurbished atelier/workshop in Leblon for a closer look, or to commission one-off pieces.
www.liviacanuto.com

Steel necklace with 24kt gold in water and pearls

Miriam Mamber
A jeweller for over 30 years, Mamber has distinguished herself by working with unusual materials. You’re as likely to see a coffee bean set in gold as you are an ancient coin or piece of fossil. The result is to elevate even the non-precious materials to mini works of art. Our favourites are her necklaces made from preserved native tree fungus edged with gold.
www.miriammamber.com.br

Contact ring

Odara
Tucked away in Ipanema Secret, Odara is the brainchild of two Rio-based designers, who both honed their aesthetic at Antonio Bernardo. With the emphasis on showcasing Brazilian stones from the state of Minas Gerais, each piece is a unique one-off, while the duo site such diverse aesthetics as 16th-century Baroque and 20th-century Modernism as their inspiration.
www.odara.art.br