Jóias

Though I love a good key chain or refrigerator magnet, one of my favorite ways to remember my travels is through jewelry and accessories. I absolutely love accessories that bring back a memory when I wear them, like the 5 euro pashmina I bought outside the Milan metro that still smells of Italy. Lucky for lovers of Brasa like me, there are some wonderfully talented jewelry designers that use Brazil's beauty as inspiration.

Francesca Romana Diana is the first jewelry designer I took notice of on a trip to Brazil. Walking down Visconde de Pirajá, Ipanema's main commercial street, I was drawn in by the pink and orange decor and soon noticed several brightly colored pieces that I had to have. The designer who's name graces each piece is actually a Roman expat who realized that Brazil's richness in semi-precious stones would be great inspiration. Now, she's one of the most well-known jewelry designers in Brazil and her collections pay homage to several aspects of Brazilian culture.

Two of my favorite pieces that I'm lucky to own are below. The first is the bracelet inspired by the Fita do Bomfim, the amulet made of fabric that you must get tied on your wrist if ever in Salvador, Bahia. The legend goes that three knots tied on the bracelet each represent a wish that will only come true once the bracelet falls off on its own. I got a red one with good luck charms that include a mini-horseshoe. I wear it every time I have a gig! The other is the thick cuff from the Rio de Janeiro collection that captures the Rio skyline. I love this piece and get questions about it every time I wear it.

The other designer I love is Maria Oiticica. She calls her pieces biojóias or bio-jewels as all her designs incorporate raw materials from Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Last year, Macy's launched a Brazil-inspired market that featured some of her designs but to be honest, the pieces they chose weren't my favorites. Earlier this year, I bought the necklace below made of dried açaí seeds and fio de tucum, a rope made from the Tucumã palm tree. One of this designer's fans also happens to be one of my favorite samba singers, Nilze Carvalho, who can be seen wearing the açaí seed necklace on the cover of her latest CD.