By Ase Anderson in London
Carla Amorim is one of only a handful of Brazilian jewellery designers who has achieved widespread success on an international scale, and her new Russia jewellery collection shows why. Putting political turmoil to one side, she has focussed on the country's landmarks and landscapes to create a striking collection that captures the unique beauty of this diverse country.
From sunflowers and ballet dancers to cathedrals and forests, Russian symbols have been brought to life in a colourful jewellery collection that stays true to the designer's signature aesthetic.
The stunning Ballet earrings are inspired by Ballet Russes, a ballet company that migrated from Russia to Paris in the early 20th century - a golden age in contemporary ballet. Under the influence of Serguei Diaghilev, the company collaborated with some of the most influential artists of the time, such as Picasso and Matisse, as well as the dancers Vaslav Nijinski and Anna Pavlova, and the composer Igor Stravinsky.
The Taiga earrings, which glisten in purple or green, are reminiscent of the conifer forests found in parts of Russia, while the term Taiga itself is used to define snowforests closer to the Arctic Circle.
While the Russian climate is often associated with the bitterly cold Siberian winters, it may come as a surprise to learn that a flower closely associated with Russia is the sunflower. Along with Ukraine, Russia produces 95% of the world's sunflowers, and this colourful bloom is referenced in the glowing Sunflower earrings.
Catherine the Great, the longest ruling female leader of Russia, reigned over the country's so-called Golden Age, from 1762-1796. So it is only fitting that she should be the inspiration behind the aptly named Czarina earrings and ring.
The country's impressive architecture has also found its way into the collection with the Hermitage and Dome earrings, both inspired by the world-famous museum in Saint Petersburg. Similarly, as the names suggest, the criss-cross pattern and swirls of colour on the Chapel and St Basil pieces mimic the brightly painted motifs on the towers of the domes on the famous St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square.
The Kremlin hardly needs an introduction, and the earrings bearing the same name feature the famous onion-shaped domes found on the government building in Moscow.
Russia's culinary delights are not left untouched with the Palmeni earrings and rings, which take their inspiration from a dish consisting of shredded beef wrapped in little dough parcels. And one of the country's most endearingly cute exports has not been overlooked either. Carla Amorim has transformed the wooden Matrioska dolls that fit neatly inside one another into a seductive pair of earrings with the same contours as this traditional Russian toy - quite a feat.
