San Paolo

Together for Prasi

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Put together the first letters of the surnames of Mariana Prates and that of Helena Sicupira and you will have the word Prasi. Not only. You will also have a young Brazilian jewelry company that blends the two souls of the great South American country: Helena and Mariana were born in Rio de Janeiro, but work in Sao Paulo. Another aspect unites them: they come from experiences not strictly linked to the world of jewelry, but architecture, art and design, which are the guidelines of the brand. The first collection, for example, was inspired by the airport atmospheres that marked the move from Rio to São Paulo. Their jewels are top of the range: 18K gold, refined design and precious stones, such as emeralds.

Anello Santos Dumont in oro 18 carati e smeraldi
Anello Santos Dumont in oro 18 carati e smeraldi

Prasi’s birth seems almost accidental: Mariana studied journalism in Brazil, while Helena was educated in industrial design, but graduated from Studio Berçot in Paris. The birth of Prasi is quite recent: 2019 and the first collection was presented in a showroom in Paris. A move that probably served to make itself immediately appreciated by an international audience.
Collana a catena Mangueira fatta a mano in oro 18 carati
Collana a catena Mangueira fatta a mano in oro 18 carati

Anello Dois in oro rosa e giallo 18 carati
Anello Dois in oro rosa e giallo 18 carati
Ciondolo a cuore in oro e malachite
Ciondolo a cuore in oro e malachite
Girocollo in platino, oro giallo 18 carati e diamanti
Girocollo in platino, oro giallo 18 carati e diamanti
Orecchini in oro bianco e diamanti
Orecchini in oro bianco e diamanti
Bracciale Santos Dumont in oro giallo 18 carati e smeraldi
Bracciale Santos Dumont in oro giallo 18 carati e smeraldi
Orecchini Santos Dumont in oro giallo e bianco 18 carati e smeraldi
Orecchini Santos Dumont in oro giallo e bianco 18 carati e smeraldi







Yael Sonia’s movements

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The geometrical and kinetic jewels by Brazilian Yael Sonia, who has known success in New York ♦

There are children who never are stop. But there are also jewels that are always on the move. Gold and precious stones that are always active are the elements that distinguish the work of a successful designer, quite original: Yael Sonia. Brasilian of Sao Paulo, in 2003 she opened a boutique in downtown New York, successfully. His strange, but very intuitive insight stems from his studies: the Parsons School of Design in New York, but also mathematics. The union of art and scientific calculus has allowed her to create jewels that play on volumes, but also on movement within them, with stones that can swing back and forth as they would be on rails. This kind of jewelery, called Spinning, has become a model also sought after by many Hollywood stars.

Yael Sonia has a style that has evolved over time, is changed from pieces which were small sculptures or, rather, miniature architectures, to a genre that combines artistic creation with portability. The fact of working in Brazil, then, has added the possibility of having a large variety of gems, often tailored to their jewelery. And commensurate with the difficult and refined workmanship of his pieces, especially bracelets and rings, are the prices: it ranges from a minimum of about $ 2,000 to tens of thousands.

Anello Solar Duo in oro 18 carati e tormalina verde
Anello Solar Duo in oro 18 carati e tormalina verde
Anello Lunar in oro giallo con ametista
Anello Lunar in oro giallo con ametista
Orecchini Eclipse in oro giallo, diamanti, perle Akoya
Orecchini Eclipse in oro giallo, diamanti, perle Akoya
Bracciale Eclipse in oro giallo con diamanti e perle Akoya
Bracciale Eclipse in oro giallo con diamanti e perla Akoya
Orecchini in oro rosa e perle Akoya
Orecchini in oro rosa e perle Akoya
Bracciale in oro 18 carati, diamanti e acquamarina
Bracciale in oro 18 carati, diamanti e acquamarina

Anello in oro con amazonite
Anello in oro con amazonite







Casa Castro, a century in color

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The extraordinary jewels of Casa Castro, a Brazilian Maison founded one hundred years ago.

It is about to turn a century. But the Joalheria Casa Castro is livelier than ever. All thanks to Antonio Teixeira de Castro, the founder, born in Portugal but who became Brazilian by choice. It was 1922 when he opened his boutique in Sao Paulo. Passionate about antiques and gems, in a few years the jeweler has created a Maison, Casa Castro, which offers jewels of great value not only for the materials used, but also for the imagination and creativity. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and many rare stones are transformed into the colorful jewels produced by the company, which is now run by Antonio Carlos de Castro Tinoco Cabral (fourth generation of the family) together with his daughters Vivi and Kika.

Bracciale in oro giallo 18 carati, turchese e diamanti
Bracciale in oro giallo 18 carati, turchese e diamanti

The two sisters design ready-to-wear jewelry, while the father looks after the high-end jewelry. The production of Casa Castro stands out for the pleasant liveliness of its collections. Jewels inspired by insects and flowers, for example, are made with skill, also with the use of the stone carving technique and even with the wings of Brazilian forest beetles.
Orecchini con ali di scarabeo, diamanti e cianite
Orecchini con ali di scarabeo, diamanti e cianite

Orecchini in oro giallo, giadeite nera e corallo
Orecchini in oro giallo, giadeite nera e corallo
Orecchini in oro giallo con giada nera intagliata,  diamanti e smeraldo
Orecchini in oro giallo con giada nera intagliata, diamanti e smeraldo
Orecchini in oro giallo con iolite intagliata, ebano e diamanti
Orecchini in oro giallo con iolite intagliata, ebano e diamanti
Collana ion oro giallo con cammeo di agata, perla e diamanti
Collana ion oro giallo con cammeo di agata, perla e diamanti
Orecchini in oro giallo, alluminio anodizzato, citrino
Orecchini in oro giallo, alluminio anodizzato, citrino
Orecchini con crisocolla intagliata a mano
Orecchini con crisocolla intagliata a mano







Joana Salazar’s experiences

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From Brazil with color. Like many other colleagues of her, Joana Salazar loves composing her jewels using colored gems, many of which are extracted in the South American country: large tourmalines, but also coral and diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. In addition, the Sao Paulo-based designer is very attentive to the compositional balance of the jewel. An attention that comes from her studies in Italy. For her education, in fact, she Joana Salazar moved to Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, where she graduated in Product Design at the Milan Polytechnic.

Orecchini con tormalina Paraiba e diamanti
Orecchini con tormalina Paraiba e diamanti

Then, she continued her studies by studying gemology. But, unlike most of her colleagues, she didn’t go to New York. The designer chose to study gemology at the Gemological Institute of America in Mumbai, India. The Asian country, in fact, is one of the largest transformers of precious stones and offers an experience that is not only theoretical, but closer to practice. In short, she has a passion for travel, as well as for jewelry that she has loved since she was a child, over the years she has cultivated a vast international experience, which allows her a broad vision and a global aesthetic to her jewelry production.
Orecchini della collezione Spike in oro rosa, diamanti brown e perle di acqua dolce
Orecchini della collezione Spike in oro rosa, diamanti brown e perle di acqua dolce

Anello First Vintage in oro rosa, corallo rosa, zaffiri blu e diamanti
Anello First Vintage in oro rosa, corallo rosa, zaffiri blu e diamanti
Anello Lotus Duplo
Anello Lotus Duplo
Orecchini in oro rosa, corallo rosa, tormalina, zaffiri blu e diamanti
Orecchini in oro rosa, corallo rosa, tormalina, zaffiri blu e diamanti
Orecchini in oro rosa, tormaline rosa e rodio nero
Orecchini in oro rosa, tormaline rosa e rodio nero

Orecchini in oro rosa, diamanti, smeraldi, e un rubino
Orecchini in oro rosa, diamanti, smeraldi, e un rubino