SILVIA FURMANOVICH
Designing jewellery that has a compelling visual vocabulary is no easy task. But, luckily, for São Paulo-based Silvia Furmanovich, it’s a talent she was born with. Coming from a strong line of jewellers — her father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather were skilled goldsmiths — Silvia is carrying on the family tradition.
It was during an apprenticeship in 2000 that she discovered her true calling. “When I saw gold for the first time being melted in that big fire, I remembered the garage of my house where my father used to work
— he was a huge man, with big hands, doing little things. On that particular day, I decided it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life — to work with gold, with stones, and by myself.” It was not until a few years later, after she lost her husband, that she decided to launch her own company and turn her jewellery designing — a hobby at first — into a full-fledged career.
Silvia has always deeply admired handcrafting skills and ventured afar in search of artisans who could help realise her vision. For her, the true value of an object, including jewellery, lies in its origin, and what goes into its making. “When something has a story to tell, it tells you about the culture, the inheritance, and the generations of people who have been practising the craft.”
A 40-day artistic pilgrimage through India resulted in the India Collection, featuring one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces that draw upon the ancient art of miniature painting. Marquetry, which, for the past few years, has been employed in her jewellery and wooden clutches accented with gems, is a tale of bravura artistry. Although she has worked with gold, wood, coral and even bamboo, she has a deeper love for natural wood. Therefore, clutches that once were just a collection will “now become a permanent feature”.
For more information, visit www. silviafurmanovich.com.