Sustainable gold and Brazilian colours: the new collection by Thais Bernardes

Rings like confetti and earrings like streamers, to wear the joy of Carnival all year round

After Shrove Tuesday, people in Brazil are already starting to think about the Carnival, that of the following year. This festival is so heartfelt in the South American country that people work on it all year round: they prepare the floats, the music, the blocos (groups of people parading through the cities) and, of course, the costumes.

Carnival is also a continuous source of inspiration for Brazilian artists, creatives and designers. Like Thais Bernardes who wanted to dedicate a special jewellery capsule to the craziest days of the year. "The inspiration, as usual, brings a bit of my land, the richness of nature and Brazilian culture. The final touch is the use of the excellence of Italian labour that allows me to create jewellery with a unique and inimitable design. This is the soul of my brand,' says the designer.

 

The lineCarnival presents the Chevalier ring, a classic from the previous collection, in a new 'mini' version in 18-carat yellow and 9-carat pink gold, at the centre of which are set precious stones such as black diamond, pink or yellow sapphire, on a hand-enamelled coloured background. "The stones - which are surrounded by enamels in bright colours such as blue, pink, yellow, green, to which we have added black - are reminiscent of confetti," says the designer. The capsule also includes bracelets and earringsalso in 18 carat yellow gold and 9 carat rose gold, evoking sparkling stars. In addition to the stones set against the enamelled background, the rounded shape of these jewellery pieces is enriched by pendants in the form of rolled strips. "These 'serpentinas' - as we call streamers in Brazil - can be detached. So, the earrings in this line are versatile and can be used with or without the pendants,' Thais notes.

There is another important feature of the collection worth mentioning: the designer has signed a partnership withFairmined​a programme that ensures that the 18-carat yellow gold used in its collections has been mined by mining organisations committed to responsible social and environmental practices.

 

"The gold used in my creations is mined in South America, particularly in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, in a responsible way within artisanal realities, respecting the working conditions of the miners and the environment. Buyers pay a premium, on top of the price set for the gold, to be reinvested in community projects,' Thais explains, completing that the creations are 100% 'designed and made in Italy', and intended to last a lifetime.

A new step on the path to sustainability, following the initiative to support Survival International, to which the designer donated part of the proceeds from the sales of the Cipó collection.

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