Sometimes I come across a jeweller and my reaction is immediate and wholly instinctive. With others I look and I ponder, I turn them over, I mull. With Silvia Furmanovich's jewels it was an instant, 'yes'! Her glossy, bright colours and rich, rippling textures have immediate 'I want' factor.
As warming as sunshine and as colourful as her home country, Furmanovich's Brazilian heritage is obvious. But her jewels go beyond the Brazilian stereotype of big stones and bright hues. Furmanovich's father was a goldsmith, which gives us an idea as to where she acquired her diverse range of techniques and a willingness to experiment with carving and colour.
There's an air of baroque splendour with a tropical twist in pieces such as the peacock feather motif earrings and the ornately carved antique comb cuff. And just what is that luscious orange stone that looks like a fan of finely-sliced mango held up to the sun? By combining colourful materials in surprising ways - such as a humble, blushing-pink cockle shell paired with a majestic emerald - Furmanovich is blazing a hot, new trail all of her own.
A selection of Furmanovich's jewels is available at Couturelab.com and Bergdorff Goodman in New York.
