The city of New York hosted the exhibition “Collect Brazilian Jewelry” at the One Art Space gallery in Tribeca, Manhattan, which brought together 20 female jewelers from different parts of Brazil to showcase their work and experience the art of doing business in the jewelry sector in the international market.
According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Materials (IBGM), with 261 industries linked to the jewelry market, the country ranks among the 15 largest producers of gold pieces, with a total of 22 tons of jewelry created and sold.
The exhibition, themed “Empowerment of Women,” displayed pieces specially created for the topic, made with the best of Brazilian gold, silver, and gemstones.
The curator and organizer of the event had an easy task. In a special interview for the newspaper O Dia and the Conta-Gotas column, the organizer and three exhibitors, Dorine Botana, chose New York due to the exposure the city offers.
Dorine, who has produced events in Sweden, France, Denmark, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, and Portugal over 19 years, created the collective “Collect Brazilian Jewelry” with the aim of bringing together groups of Brazilian designers and showcasing authorial jewelry outside Brazil.
Among the 20 participating designers, three stand out for their originality and the use of different techniques in the construction of the 
jewelry.
Maria Antonia Antonelle is a trained gemologist and passionate about precious stones, having previously exhibited in France, Italy, Yugoslavia, and the United Arab Emirates. Her journey into studying gemstones began after her retirement. Her collection was developed with the theme “Unequal,” with all pieces influenced by nature.
Maria Antonelle states that being in the international media means having access to the world of jewelry. It also means being recognized in Brazil for the work done abroad.
It’s more about marketing than sales, and New York is a major business hub where everything happens. And as it should be, art in 
jewelry. The country has great potential for clients who wish to have exclusive jewelry with their personal characteristics.
Comparing Brazilian clients with Americans, Maria shares that foreign clients value exclusivity and consider jewelry as art.
The designer from Fortaleza, Telma Aguiar, adds that besides European and American clients appreciating timeless and different pieces, they do not ask for discounts and highly value the jeweler.
Telma, who completed her 16th international exhibition in New York, has previously been to Germany, Spain, and Portugal. She developed a special collection for New York called Jardim – inspired by self-care, relationships, and self-love to 
face the daily challenges as a woman.
Regarding Brazilian raw materials, designer Berta Antunes understands very well. A specialist in working with pure silver, she began her career experimenting with the evolutionary process of raw materials from metals and gemstones.
Berta previously participated with the same producer from the Collect Brazilian Jewelry working group in Paris, at the Joaillerie Contemporaine D’auteur au Carrousel Du Louvre in 2018.
The inspiration for her collection was influenced by basketry craftsmanship, reflecting the importance of female activity in the process of cultural evolution, like the weave, plot, and intertwined threads revealing the delicacy 
and strength of women.
For Berta, the cost to participate in the collective was quite high. “It reaches nearly $5,000. We also contractually contribute with the pre-established values for each exhibition by the production, without the obligation of percentages in possible negotiations. The return is more about the exposure that will generate more recognition for your pieces.”
“Naturally, Brazil has excellent artists who cannot survive economically under these market demands. The market is cruel to art producers at all levels, and there is a prejudiced current in all artistic languages penalizing us, too,” concluded Berta Antunes.
VIVIANE FAVER
Journalist
vfaver@gmail.com