Amazonia bamboo jewelry by Silvia Furmanovich: the exquisite elegance of nature

For true art, whether sculpture or painting, jewelry or perfumery, there is no such thing as ‘inappropriate’, ‘unconventional’, or ‘not precious enough’.  

It’s not—at least, not only—gold and diamonds which make jewelry both couture and exclusive. It is also the muse of the artist, the imagination of the designer, the mastery of the goldsmith, and the craftsmanship of all the other experts involved in the lengthy process, from conception to creation of a chef-d’oeuvre, from a fuzzy image, shape or smell in the artist’s head to the unveiling of a finished masterpiece.  

This is especially true of the new Amazonia Bamboo collection by Silvia Furmanovich, a São Paulo designer, who found inspiration in her journey to Japan, where she discovered the centuries-old art of weaving bamboo into intricate knots and basketsm, and who transformed the miniaturized versions of those techniques, beautified with gems and gold, into unique pieces of jewelry.  

Bamboo is a pretty commonplace plant and an everyday building material and food product in South, East, and Southeast Asia. Who would have thought that building blocks and edibles could be turned into refined pieces of art? And yet, the flight of Silvia’s imagination, her bold visions and designs have elevated it to the realm of fine jewelry.  

Through the alchemic combination of daring designs, attention to detail, passion for ancient, traditional and innovative craftsmanship, styles and materials, love of travel and fresh interpretations of different cultures, Silvia creates unique and timeless pieces.  

It made me recallmember Serge Lutens’ sensual and revolutionary perfume Féminité du Bois—a philosophical and memorable mixture of Atlas cedar, cinnamon and clove, candied plum and pear, an elegant flash of violets, rose, orange blossom and earthly sandalwood, contemplative and tantalizing, dusty and dry, yet sophisticated and tender, symbolizing the duality of woman’s nature.                                                            

In her new collection, Silvia Furmanovich uses a mix of precious and semiprecious stones, pearls and metals, matching the shades of natural and colored bamboo: gold, diamond, citrine, tourmaline, garnet, emerald, jasper, amethyst and topaz, to elevate the value of this humble natural material, awakening a sense of warm, spicy yet delicate feminine refinement. Shapes, shades and smells that are often missed in the hectic routine of hurried and overcrowded lives.  

Although you might intuitively think otherwise, bamboo does not degrade quickly over time: the masterpieces of bamboo artists, exhibited in museums around the world, have lasted for centuries. Beyond that, light in weight and extremely strong and resilient, bamboo makes an ideal material for wearable jewelry.   The lines and shapes, the graceful woodiness and – when combined with the right stones and pearls, characteristic of Silvia Furmanovich – the balance between exquisite craftsmanship and pure beauty, rustic and, at the same time, gracefully elegant, makes this a unique and outstanding collection.  

The way perfume acts like a living creature, changing its behavior, revealing new notes and moods the longer it lingers on your skin, Silvia’s masterpieces, coming from the very core of the natural world, work together with your outfit, your mood and the essence of your feminine nature.

Portrait by Chris Gambrell.