By Cynthia Unninayar
From seductive to sophisticated, from classic to contemporary, the colourful jewels of Vianna Brasil are on the forefront of fashion. And it’s no wonder. Inspired by the colours and culture of Brazil, Vianna translates the beauty of its country into original designs that resonate with women all around the world.
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One of the most fashion-forward brands of today, Vianna Brasil has created a new line that evokes the blue green colour for spring, Cockatoo, forecast by Pantone. This rich vibrant tone is represented beautifully in the rare and extraordinary Paraiba Tourmaline.
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| Karla Antunes and Ricardo Vianna |
“Paraiba tourmaline is a legendary stone from the state of Paraiba in Brazil,” explains Ricardo Vianna. “Its scarcity and unusual blue-green colour make it one of the most sought-after gems in the world.” Because of its rarity, it is not commonly available, but now Vianna is offering an extraordinary collection made with this remarkable gem.
In 1987, miners discovered tourmaline crystals with vivid bluish-green tones in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. Their unique colours had never before been seen in any other gemstone, and it soon became known as Paraiba Tourmaline. The unusual colour is due to the presence of copper, an element that has never been observed in tourmaline.
“This gem has a unique glow,” explains Karla Antunes, Vianna’s creative and marketing director, “which makes it a wonderful stone for fine jewellery. Our collection now includes pendants, rings, and earrings. But, because of its rarity, most of these pieces are one-of-a-kind.”
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As a maker of jewellery, Vianna has the added advantage of faceting its own stones in a stateof- the-art cutting facility in Belo Horizonte, thus it can act quickly when it finds a rare Paraiba stone. Usually the gems are small but the very rare large pieces are occasionally found, and make incredible jewellery if they don’t end up in the hands of collectors.
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“We are very proud of our Paraiba collection,” continues Karla, “but we also continue with our other lines that celebrate the colours of spring and summer.” And, among the season’s colours interpreted by Vianna are the Tangerine, Sweet Lilac, Solar Power, Margarita, and Cabaret tones predicted by Pantone for S/S 2012. “We love all the colours,” she adds, “but of, course, all women would look pretty in Paraiba.”
