Vania Leles

High jewelry by 25 black designers at Sotheby’s




Darker-skinned jewelers and designers than others. Sotheby’s offers them a new appointment: Brilliant & Black: The Age of Enlightenment. The sale organized in London (22 September 2 October) follows the one organized in New York last year. The curator of the exhibition is the same, Melanie Grant: she has selected jewels by black designers from the 1950s to today. In all 70 pieces from 25 different creators. Already present in New York were Melanie Eddy, Lola Fenhirst, Harwell Godfrey, Sheryl Jones, Vania Leles, Angie Marei, Satta Matturi, Johnny Nelson, Jariet Oloye-Oduto, Jacqueline Rabun, Catherine Sarr, Maggi Simpkins, Karen Smith, Ten thousand things, Lorraine West, Thelma West and Castro, who died suddenly last July.

Vanleles, anello con rubellite taglio pera, con rubini e diamanti
Vanleles, anello con rubellite taglio pera, con rubini e diamanti

They are joined by Disa Allsopp, Latoya Boyd, Shola Branson, Ndidi Eubia, Gina Love, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Roxanne Rajcommar-Hadden and Sewit Sium. The exhibition coincides with Black History Month in the UK. Everyone created at least one new piece of jewelery for the exhibition. The jewels are top of the range. And even though designers like Satta Matturi use motifs and icons of African origin, most of the jewels on offer are completely indistinguishable from those of other non-black designers. They are simply beautiful.

Angie Marei, anello con perla di Tahiti e tsavoriti
Angie Marei, anello con perla di Tahiti e tsavoriti
Maggi Simpkins, anello Peacock con diamante taglio  smeraldo, circondato da zaffiri, smeraldi e diamanti verdazzurri
Maggi Simpkins, anello Peacock con diamante taglio smeraldo, circondato da zaffiri, smeraldi e diamanti verdazzurri
Mateo, orecchini con perle e diamanti
Mateo, orecchini in oro con perle coltivate e diamanti
Matturi, orecchini con sei diamanti taglio triangolare e 150 taglio brillante, onice
Matturi, orecchini con sei diamanti taglio triangolare e 150 taglio brillante, onice
Sheryl Jones, collana con 34 peridoti taglio Asscher, zaffiri rosa, rubini, tormaline, kunzite e diamanti
Sheryl Jones, collana con 34 peridoti taglio Asscher, zaffiri rosa, rubini, tormaline, kunzite e diamanti

Shola Branson, anello con zaffiri
Shola Branson, anello con zaffiri







The new jewelry by Vania Leles




The new jewels by Vania Leles, with the most precious African gems ♦

The legacy of Africa seen through the eyes of a former model of the great jewelery brands who has learned to love precious stones: we have already talked about Vania Leles. The model, now a designer, continues her mission to enhance the precious fruits that come from the African land. The result is high-end fine jewelry. Vania Leles prefers single-colored jewels: all rubies, or all emeralds, all diamonds.

Also read: Vania Leles rubies

Bracciale in oro bianco con diamanti e smeraldi dello Zambia
Bracciale in oro bianco con diamanti e smeraldi dello Zambia

Descending from the catwalk and leaving the photographic studios, Vania entered the halls of the Gemological Institute of America (Gia), where she learned the secrets of precious stones. After graduating, the designer moved to London and worked for Graff Diamonds, De Beers and Sotheby’s Jewelery Department, where she oversaw the auctions of some of the most prestigious pieces of the century, such as the jewels of the Duchess of Windsor and the Graff Pink, one of the most expensive jewels ever sold at auction. Finally, in 2011 she decided to found her jewelery brand, using high quality diamonds that come from countries without conflict. Vania Leles was one of the designers included in Sotheby’s selection, on show and sale in New York, entitled Brilliant & Black: A Jewelry Renaissance.

Orecchini floreali in oro rosa, titanio, rubini del Mozambico
Orecchini floreali in oro rosa, titanio, rubini del Mozambico
Orecchini Kilimanjaro in oro bianco, titanio, diamanti bianchi
Orecchini Kilimanjaro in oro bianco, titanio, diamanti bianchi
Anello Kilimanjaro in oro bianco, titanio, diamanti bianchi
Anello Kilimanjaro in oro bianco, titanio, diamanti bianchi
Orecchini Legends of Africa con diamanti bianchi e neri
Orecchini Legends of Africa con diamanti bianchi e neri
Anello Legends of Africa con diamanti bianchi e smeraldi
Anello Legends of Africa con diamanti bianchi e smeraldi
Collier con diamanti bianchi e smeraldi
Collier con diamanti bianchi e smeraldi
Anello in oro rosa, diamanti e rubini del Mozambico
Anello in oro rosa, diamanti e rubini del Mozambico, rubellite
Vania Leles (da Facebook)
Vania Leles (da Facebook)







Vania Leles, the African soul of gems

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Rubies, emeralds, diamonds: these are the colors of Africa for Vania Leles, which uses gems of origin that are responsible for high-class jewelery signed VanLeles ♦

Africa for Vania Leles, born in Guinea-Bissau, means two things: pride and precious stones, with which she also realizes collections of fine jewelry. Also for this reason, for example, a couple of years ago, she created a collection of six high-jewelery pieces with emeralds and diamonds from Zambia from the Gemfields mines, which boasts a process of ethical acquisition of stones. The collection pays tribute to Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was born in slavery in the West Indies in 1761, but was liberated and raised in London, and for Sarah Forbes Bonetta, who was presented as a “gift” to Queen Victoria in 1850 and later grown up as the queen’s goddaughter. In short, stories of slavery of other times. But that Vania, of dark skin, wanted to remember. The latest collection, instead, is called Sahara: dedicated to the desert, it is made of gold and diamonds.

Girocollo in oro giallo e diamanti della collezione Sahara
Girocollo in oro giallo e diamanti della collezione Sahara

Fortunately, the designer had a different story: she was a model for Saint Laurent. But then she decided that jewels were more interesting than life on the catwalk and she studied at the Gemological Institute of America and then worked for Graff and De Beers. How to say that it started from above. Having learned her trade, she opened an atelier in New Bond Street, London. Her jewels are top top top, as you can see from the images on this page. Lavinia Andorno

Choker della collezione Sahara
Choker della collezione Sahara
Orecchini della collezione Sahara in oro giallo e diamanti
Orecchini della collezione Sahara in oro giallo e diamanti
Anello cocktail con rubini
Anello cocktail con rubini
Anello con rubino e diamanti
Anello con rubino e diamanti
Orecchini pendenti con diamanti
Orecchini pendenti con diamanti

Orecchini a cerchio con diamanti
Orecchini a cerchio con diamanti







The rubies of Vania Leles




The rubies from Mozambique in the extraordinary Out of Africa collection by Vania Leles ♦ ︎
She comes from Africa and to Africa she dedicates one of her most valuable collections. The collection by Vania Leles is called Out of Africa and is entirely dedicated to the beauty of Mozambique rubies. Red, deep, lively: Mozambique rubies are among the most sought after in the world. But she, who is native to Guinea-Bissau, uses only local gems extracted with responsible and ethical processes, even to help miners and their community, explains VanLeles Diamonds founder. Vania Leles, who works in London, is a former model, and has among its goals to enhance the African and Portuguese cultural heritage.
Although his cultural formation is rather international: she has worked in New York, London and Paris, studying at the American Gemological Institute (Gia). She practiced in jewelery worship places: Graff Diamonds, De Beers and the Sotheby Jewelry Department. She even created jewels for the British Royal House, in particular for the Duchess of Windsor, and supervised auctions of highly valuable stones, such as the famous Graff Pink. It is not strange, therefore, that she has developed an experience and refined the eye in evaluating the stones, as seen in the Out of Africa collection. Vania launched VanLeles Diamonds in 2011, which exalts her passion for high quality jewels. Giulia Netrese
Read also: Vania Leles, emeralds at the rescue 




Vania Leles, anello con rubini e diamanti. La collezione Out of Africa è venduta da Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills
Vania Leles, anello con rubini e diamanti. La collezione Out of Africa è venduta da Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills

Collana della collezione Out of Africa, con rubini del Mozambico
Collana della collezione Out of Africa, con rubini del Mozambico
Orecchini di Vania Leles
Orecchini di Vania Leles
Orecchini di Vania Leles, Out of Africa
Orecchini di Vania Leles, Out of Africa
Anello con rubino, rubellite e diamanti
Anello con rubino, rubellite e diamanti
Orecchini con rubini della collezione Enchanted Garden
Orecchini con rubini della collezione Enchanted Garden
Orecchini Stilettos con rubini, diamanti e rubellite
Orecchini Stilettos con rubini, diamanti e rubellite