Brazilian fantasy, American concreteness: that’s why they like Ana Khouri jewels ♦
Ana Khouri, born in San Paolo, based in New York, the city design. Brazil is for decades been a hotbed from which come jewelers global quality. And Ana Khouri, the daughter of an engineer and a pianist, has successfully combined the grace of music with mathematical rigor. The result is a mixture of fantasy and simplicity, yet luxurious. Her jewels have been worn by Emma Stone, Lupita Nyong’o, Liberty Ross, Rihanna, Isabeli Fontana, Emma Watson, Alicia Vikander, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, Glenn Close, Sara Paulson, Karlie Kloss, Claire Foy, Emily Blunt and Jennifer Lawrence. She received the 2026 GEM Award for Excellence in Fine Jewelry.
Given also that the designer studied sculpture at the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in his hometown, it’s simplest to say that its jewels are extremely three-dimensional shapes. Never flat shapes, despite the search for essential forms. In New York, the enterprising young Brazilian has also studied at the Gemological Institute of America then moved to London to graduate from Central Saint Martins. In short, she pocketed the better curriculum for a jeweler. The result, her jewels, are appreciated by a large number of celebrity. You see why in these pictures: earcuff large diamond-studded rings that twist as bent by the wind, earrings from the elusive form of small cones. To mark as a favorite.
“From my early years in art school to my first solo exhibition at Christie’s in Paris, my journey has always been driven by curiosity. Many of you know that I started out as a sculptor. I still remember my first exhibition in 2001, when I draped enormous steel sculptures over women’s bodies, completely ignoring aspects like comfort or wearability. I simply wanted to see art move with the body,” Ana Khouri said on Instagram.
“At that exhibition, someone asked me if one of the works could be transformed into something smaller, something wearable. That moment silently changed the direction of my life as an artist. It was the beginning of my quest to create objects that convey the spirit of art but also live intimately with the person who wears them.
I have always admired the great artists who have blurred these boundaries. Now more than ever, craftsmanship, art, and natural materials are celebrated by those who truly understand this world.
New York has become my home. Our Upper East Side salon has become a place where our creations live year-round, and attending TEFAF New York for the first time six years ago made me feel like I’d finally found my place in the public eye.
My love for this city and this community has encouraged me to be more daring with my work and create some of the pieces I’m most proud of. I often say, “You’re perfect. The jewelry is simply a reminder of that.
Being the only independent jeweler to receive the High Jewelry Excellence Award is surreal. But more importantly, it shows that there’s room for all of us: for independent voices, for women, and for the next generation of artists who are redefining the way we think about jewelry.”
