To see photos of the Brazilian Collection, click here

The Institute has created its first formal international jewelry collection to highlight the spirit and soul of Brazilian jewelry and showcase traditional and contemporary designs.

The collection, which features pieces donated by Brazil's top designers and manufacturers, debuted at the Institute's Collection Booth during the 2006 AGTA GemFair in Tucson.
It was the busiest GIA Collection Booth that In-Kind Gifts Director Patricia Syvrud had ever seen at a trade show.

"The impact of the collection, accompanied by the bright colors of the labels, silk palm fronds and Brazilian music playing in the booth, was a magnet to our display," she said. "Some people came back as many as three times to view these beautiful pieces."

The Brazilian Collection will also be displayed at the AGTA Pavilion at the Las Vegas JCK show in June.

"The gem wealth, cultural exuberance and exotic natural environment of Brazil are expressed through each piece in this exciting collection," said Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. "These beautiful jewels are an inspiration to all who see them."

Long known for its abundance of fine gemstones, Brazil is enjoying an emergence as a source of innovative jewelry design worldwide, said Syvrud, who lived in Brazil for more than 10 years. She became inspired by the country's creative jewelry and has built the collection with the support of the industry and the Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association (IBGM).

"There has been a lot of international attention on Brazilian jewelry design in the past few years," Syvrud said. "Assembling this collection is a great way to acknowledge the creativity that has caught the eye of so many around the world."

Renowned Brazilian designer Ruth Grieco helped inspire the idea for the collection when she archived her contemporary, handmade tourmaline cross pendant and 18K gold necklace with GIA, after it was mentioned in a book review in the Summer 2003 issue of Gems & Gemology.

Cathrine Clarke, also a well-known Brazilian jeweler, has been helpful in expanding the collection by introducing Syvrud to other designers and personally contributing a multicolor gold and eroded watermelon tourmaline brooch/ring.

Longtime GIA supporter and Brazilian retailer, Daniel André Sauer, director of Amsterdam Sauer, donated his historical "Constellation" ring, the first South American-designed piece to win the De Beers Diamond International Award in 1966.

"GIA is among the few institutions focused on improving the high standards of the entire jewelry trade," he said. "The [Constellation] ring is an icon and a landmark for the Brazilian jewelry industry."

Hans Stern, president of internationally recognized H. Stern Jewellers, Inc., included an Art Nouveau-Classical fusion style brooch, set with a 55-ct. aquamarine and 38 diamonds in 18K white gold. The piece represents a classic Brazilian design characteristic of the 1960s.

Syvrud said she looks forward to growing the collection in the future.

"GIA's Brazilian Jewelry Collection is a wonderful addition to the GIA Museum. Our students and the public can learn a great deal from seeing it," she said. "We are grateful for the support of the Brazilian jewelry industry in creating this special collection."