Straw marquetry and fire opal meet Art Deco elegance

The most enduring jewellery begins not at the workbench but in the landscape itself. For Silvia Furmanovich, the genesis of her latest collection emerged from the misty valleys and artisanal traditions of Pasto, Colombia, a place where ancient techniques still hold the hands of makers across generations. What she discovered there became the foundation for an entirely new vocabulary in her craft: the enchapado de tamo, a method of straw marquetry that speaks to patience, precision and an almost alchemical transformation of the ordinary into the magnificent.

This collection channels the geometric purity and restrained glamour of Art Deco, that most refined of twentieth century movements, yet does so through the lens of materials that feel both unexpected and inevitable. Fire opal glows with an inner incandescence, those warm hues of amber and coral that seem to hold light itself. Diamonds catch and scatter that same luminescence, their classical brilliance elevated alongside these warmer, more mercurial stones. But the true revelation lies in the straw marquetry: delicate slivers of natural material arranged with almost mathematical precision, creating patterns that shift and breathe as the light moves across them.

What distinguishes Furmanovich’s approach is her refusal of the obvious. Rather than allowing these diverse elements to compete for attention, she orchestrates them into a harmonious dialogue. The straw becomes structure, offering a tactile warmth that precious metals and gemstones alone cannot convey. The fire opal nestles within geometric frames, its glow amplified by the cool geometry surrounding it. Diamonds punctuate rather than dominate, their role one of clarification and enhancement rather than assertion.

The earrings from this collection embody this philosophy entirely. Wearable art rather than mere ornament, they demonstrate how a designer steeped in both tradition and innovation can create something that feels entirely contemporary whilst speaking to histories far older than any single aesthetic movement. The weight is considered, the proportions intelligent, the finish immaculate.

This is jewellery that asks something of its wearer: an appreciation for subtlety, a comfort with complexity, a willingness to be intrigued rather than dazzled by obvious means. It rewards close looking, intimate knowledge, the kind of quiet confidence that luxury demands when it operates at its most refined.

Imagery courtesy of Silvia Furmanovich (@silviafurmanovich).