Congratulations to the AORP – Associação de Ourivesaria e Joalharia Portuguesa (Portuguese Association of Jewelry)! Over the last decade, it has steadily supported the rise of this sector which went through to an extensive hibernation, during which deep-rooted traditions, targeting the internal market, subsisted. For AORP, jewelry is made with love. There are no boundaries when it comes to supporting the more traditional goldsmiths and jewelers, design and artistic jewelry. Now focused on internationalization, it has been promoting and fostering involvement in international fairs for a long time. Recently, it outlined an international advertising campaign on Portuguese jewelry, whose spotlight was given to the actress and model Milla Jovovich. Day after day, it increases its stakes on the international promotion of young designers, something attested in September 2016 at PortoJóia, Exponor, where it assembled a stand named Portuguese Jewelry Newborn.

It had the participation of Allis Jewellery, Ana João, Ana Pina, Bellisgirl, Cecília Ribeiro, Iglezia, Inês Costa Araújo, Liliana Alves, Luciana Guerreiro, Mater Jewellery Tales, MMUTT, Minha Joia Atelier, Romeu Bettencourt, Sofia Tregueira, Sopro and Susana Teixeira. This 16-designer group corroborates a mystery which spreads itself over the current western world, without anyone being able to explain it. Almost all are women. They have come to replace the traditional male-centered way.

They don’t simply physically exhibit their works in fairs, galleries, and stores. They also use their websites and digital communication means, the public image that they provide of themselves and of their companies, including photos, logos of each brand and packages. Several of them sell online. Regarding communication, the English language is becoming a major force which will unfurl itself as a way to achieve internationalization. The Portuguese language is present as well, as they don’t want to conceal their roots.

We live in a miscellaneous world. Just like when I wrote in Umbigo’s jewelry online section about Susana Teixeira, most of these creatives are designers – craftspeople. They conceive the design of their pieces and then execute them. Others, as it is the case of Allis Jewellery, find support in software and 3D-prototyping technologies, but, at the same time, don’t overestimate the hand-finishing that is typical of jewelry.

Mater Jewellery Tales is a startup that has hatched out from ANJE – Associação Nacional de Jovens Empresários (National Association of Young Entrepreneurs). For certain pieces, the inspiration was found in Port of Leixões and in Portuguese pavement. Ana Pina, of Tincal Lab, just like other Portuguese jewelry designers, is an architect. Several of her pieces, like the rings, can be worn as a whole set. MMUTT surprises us with its design of pieces, one that takes us back to postmodern architecture. The stones, once abandoned by young designers, are having a strong resurgence, and such is the case of Inês Costa Araújo. New materials, like rubber and several polymers, as well as brand new technologies, are now side-by-side with gold and silver. Romeu Bettencourt relies on gold and silver but, in some of his pieces, such as the ones of the project Trough Colours, he finds support in the surface finishes of Gradouro, Universidade do Minho.

It has become noticeable that new designers – these 16 and others – are emerging and standing out among the field of jewelry. They put their focus on national and international markets. They represent, as it is the aim of AORP, a much-needed creative renewal of the sector, increasing as well the economic income of Portugal through it.