At Casa SESI, the Jewels of the Amazon project highlights female leadership and Amazonian identity in a roundtable discussion.
- marialuiza9513
- Nov 12
- 5 min read
Jewelry crafted from materials sourced from the Amazon's biodiversity, reinforcing the plurality of Pará's culture and natural resources, comprises the "Jewels of the Amazon" project. The project's creator, the Instituto Elabora Social, held a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, the 12th, at Casa SESI Indústria Criativa, focusing on female leadership and sustainable design in the region. The initiative brought together specialists, designers, entrepreneurs, and representatives from partner institutions to discuss the role of women in the bio-jewelry supply chain and the relationship between creativity and sustainability.
This activity marks one of the phases of the Jewels of the Amazon project, which began in July of this year and is carried out by the Elabora Social Institute, an organization that operates in Rio de Janeiro and offers free training in goldsmithing and women's entrepreneurship. The project is sponsored by Hydro and has institutional support from FIEPA, Jornada COP+, Ebata, and AIMEX.
From the project's inception, the goal has been to connect the creative economy and empower women artisans from different regions of the state. The meeting provided an opportunity to share experiences, challenges, and reflections on social impact, as well as inspiration for creating unique pieces that celebrate Amazonian biodiversity. The initiative fostered dialogue about the role of bio-jewelry and the art of creating designs that highlight Amazonian identity as an expression of the region's biodiversity, culture, and environmental preservation.
Bio-jewelry and Amazonian design as identity and future.
“Biojewelry and Amazonian design as identity and future” was the theme of the first panel, moderated by Clarisse Chagas, manager of the SENAI Pará Clothing Hub and leader of the Women and Traditional Peoples Committee of the COP+ Conference. In the panel, Rosa Neves, regional coordinator of the Elabora Social Institute and consultant for “Jewels of the Amazon,” highlighted that the project's main objective was to value women who act as cultural and climate agents. According to Neves, the curatorial team sought to recognize in the artists the ability to unite tradition and innovation. “We focused on who these cultural creators in the biojewelry sector were, who in their artistic work recognize culture as a resource that integrates past and future. These women bring ancestry, innovation, tradition, and technology, especially social technology and the ancestral technologies of the original peoples,” she stated.
Deryck Martins, technical coordinator of the COP+ Conference and CEO of AIMEX, emphasized that the exhibition represents only a part of the impact generated by the initiative. “The exhibition is not the final result, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The capacity of this project is enormous, because these are women who are multiplying knowledge, skills, and experiences,” he stated. Martins also stressed the importance of correctly choosing the materials used in the artisans' pieces and ensuring the legal and responsible origin of the wood. “It is necessary to think about the conscious way of extraction and to provide guidance on the type of wood used in accessories and bio-jewelry. Care regarding origin is fundamental,” he highlighted.
Pablo do Vale, founder and partner of Guá Arquitetura, expanded on this reflection by addressing the challenges and complexities of contemporary design in valuing Amazonian knowledge and sustainable practices. “Our duty in the contemporary world, as Brazilians, is to understand that this division between art and craft needs to be revisited. Our wood, our clay, our ceramics, our ancestral knowledge—all of this is raw material for a design that tells our story,” he stated. The architect also emphasized that his work seeks to value and fairly remunerate the masters and artisans who already produce with excellence but are often made invisible. “More than developing something new, our role is to nurture this knowledge, give it a voice, and educate the public, not the artisan. It is the public that needs to be educated to understand the value of what is made here,” he explained.
Pedro Henrique, regional representative of APEX-Brasil, highlighted that Amazonian bio-jewelry has consolidated itself as a sector with great potential, capable of uniting sustainability, culture, and Brazilian identity. “Craftsmanship has always reflected the creativity and culture of our country, but when we talk about Amazonian bio-jewelry, we add two fundamental components: environmental preservation and the appreciation of the stories and traditions of those who produce it,” he stated. He emphasized that the international market increasingly values products with purpose, that bring authenticity and socio-environmental respect. “When we manage to export, we generate income for local producers and, at the same time, protect the forest. This is true sustainability: environmental, social, and economic,” he concluded.
Legacies of the Jewels of the Amazon project
The second panel addressed the methodologies, results, and legacies of the Amazon Jewels project. Experts reflected on the leading role of women in the Amazonian bio-jewelry sector. Nathalie Kuperman, director and founder of the Elabora Social Institute, highlighted the initiative's role in the lives of the artisans. "The bio-jewelry that is born here is an expression of identity, financial autonomy, and future," she stated.
Érika Pinheiro, External Relations consultant at Hydro, highlighted the company's commitment to fostering female entrepreneurship and the positive transformation of Amazonian territories. "Our greatest desire is to leave a legacy of belonging, opportunities, and sustainable development in the Amazon," she stated. According to her, Hydro operates with a project financing ecosystem, especially focused on female empowerment, sustainability, and the appreciation of local culture.
Designer Bianca Camino, one of the 14 participants in the Amazon Jewels project, emphasized the richness of experiences lived during the collective creation process. “The project taught us that, beyond technique, the most important thing was the relationships built, the humanity present in each of the participants, the exchange of knowledge and stories. We learned a lot from the Institute, but we also learned from each other. We created a network of support and learning. This exchange between knowledge and materials was very rich and inspiring,” she said. For her, the project represented more than a professional experience; it was an encounter of creativity and solidarity. “It was intense, powerful, and wonderful. There was no magic in the final result, but rather a lot of work, collaboration, and affection among all of us,” she concluded. The panel also included Renata Batista, unit manager of Sustainability and Innovation at Sebrae Pará, which also partnered with the project.
The project's results can be seen on display at Casa SESI Indústria Criativa, which is open for visits until November 28th, Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm, with free admission. In addition, the project has partnered with four sales points in Belém so that the artists can present and sell their original creations: the shops at the Museu das Amazônias, the Museu de Arte Sacra, Ygarapé, and the Sebrae space in the Green Zone, the official COP30 venue.
