MATILDE MOURINHO Small Talk
The designer behind Matilde Jewellery draws on her Portuguese heritage and concern for the planet to create a collection that challenges perceptions of lab-grown diamonds
What’s one of the biggest misconceptions about labgrown diamonds?
That they are fake diamonds. This is untrue, as they are visually, physically and chemically identical to natural diamonds. The only difference is where they grow, not how. The two types are indistinguishable from one another by the naked eye.
Why is it important to purchase brands that are committed to sustainability?
The main reason I started Matilde Jewellery was because I was made aware of how detrimental traditional jewellery industry practices could be. Everyone can play their part in how we treat and take care of our planet, and that can be from the smallest to the biggest thing. If we as consumers have a sustainable alternative, we should all do our best to make these more conscious and aware decisions.
Why did you establish your own jewellery brand?
I have always had a love for jewellery. I love how something so small and fine can hold such powerful meanings and memories. While establishing my own brand, I thoroughly researched the jewellery industry and what it was doing right and what it was doing wrong. This is when I learnt about its detrimental environmental and social impacts, and decided to educate myself about the sustainable alternatives that were out there. My love for jewellery and my passion for sustainability came together to form Matilde Jewellery.
How has your heritage impacted your design aesthetic?
I am very proud of my Portuguese heritage, and I always knew that I wanted to honour that. In the most obvious way, the Heritage Collection is a tribute to that Portuguese heritage. The whole collection is very much inspired by traditional Portuguese art forms. From the mosaic tiles that cover the streets of Portugal to the Coração de Viana, a symbol of honesty and generosity, I wanted to showcase these inspirations in a modern and elegant yet timeless way.
What can we expect from you in 2022?
I want to focus on growing and fostering our community and relationship with our customers—to really listen to what they want from us and do our best to give that to them. I want to continue exploring new and innovative ways to be as sustainable as possible with everything we do, and just keep learning and educating ourselves as well as our customers.
If you could design jewellery for anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
I would design a piece of jewellery for my grandmother, whom my mother and I are named after. I never got to meet her, so I would have loved to have been able to design something for her.