Silvia Furmanovich brings her signature artistry to Nantucket through a new 60-piece collaboration with Katherine Jetter’s The Vault. The collection spans jewellery, clutches, and home décor, blending Brazilian gemstones with the island’s iconic flora and basketry traditions.
Brazilian artist-designer Silvia Furmanovich and jewellery designer Katherine Jetter have unveiled a 60-piece Nantucket-inspired collection, featuring one-of-a-kind creations in 18-karat yellow gold set with coloured gemstones, priced between $1,500 and $20,000.
“We’ve long admired Silvia’s intricate work, and saw an opportunity for her to showcase the island’s beauty through a collection spanning jewellery, accessories, and home décor – bringing that story to her global audience. Her marquetry and refined design aesthetic, combined with Nantucket’s beloved hydrangeas and Rosa Rugosa, felt like a natural match,” says Katherine, founder of jewellery boutique, The Vault Nantucket.
Silvia Furmanovich shares more about this delightful floral-inspired collection:
Your collections often celebrate Brazilian gemstones and craftsmanship. How did you weave those elements into this Nantucket-inspired collaboration?
Nantucket’s basketry tradition, dating back to the 18th century, is a remarkable example of artisanal heritage. I admire how the island’s craftsmen have maintained the delicate art of weaving these iconic baskets, which embody both function and history.
In this collaboration, I sought to honour that legacy by weaving Brazilian craftsmanship and gemstones into the island’s own artisanal language. The aquamarines, tourmalines and citrines reflect Nantucket’s sea hues and warm natural tones, creating a dialogue between two rich traditions.
I also admire the island’s commitment to architectural preservation, which reflects a profound respect for place and history. This ethos inspired me to approach the collection with sensitivity, balancing innovation with reverence for tradition.
You’ve employed techniques such as wood marquetry, horse mane weaving, rattan work, beading from different regions, including miniature painting from Rajasthan. How did these complement the Nantucket basketry and woven bracelets?
Nantucket basketry is defined by meticulous craftsmanship and deep history. When I bring Brazilian marquetry, Chilean horse mane weaving or Indian miniature painting into this dialogue, it becomes an exchange between cultures that value heritage and mastery. The textures of woven baskets complement the smoothness of marquetry wood and the intricacy of rattan, creating a layered conversation across continents. Integrating horse mane weaving into jewellery highlights a shared human skill: transforming natural fibres into art. This respects and elevates both traditions without diluting their stories.
Many of your collections feel global yet deeply local. How do you strike that balance, celebrating Nantucket flora and basketry in this case, while staying true to your Brazilian identity?
My process begins with immersing myself in the local environment — the flora, such as Nantucket’s ponderosa pines and hydrangeas, and the cultural fabric of its basketry. Translating these elements through Brazilian craftsmanship creates a bridge between two worlds. The island’s commitment to architectural preservation further reinforces the importance of honouring place, history and craftsmanship in my designs.
This collection ranges from jewellery to clutches and baskets. How important is it for you to work across different categories, and what challenges does that bring for artisans?
True craftsmanship transcends categories, whether in jewellery, clutches or baskets. Working across forms allows artisans to adapt traditional skills, such as marquetry or weaving, to new scales and functions. It’s a joy to see them evolve, much like Nantucket’s own basketry has.
That said, it was very challenging to produce basketry in Brazil, where artisans don’t share the same centuries-old experience. I took classes with Nantucket basketry experts and sourced rattan from recommended suppliers. We’re still refining our interpretation of this time-honoured tradition.
Your work with international artisans is a foundation of your brand. Tell us more.
This exchange is a living dialogue that enriches everyone involved. Seeing Indian miniature paintings alongside Brazilian marquetry and Nantucket-inspired weaving creates a unique fusion that celebrates both difference, and shared values of patience, tradition and beauty. I feel honoured to spotlight these artisans alongside my own work. I see myself as a facilitator of collaboration.
Just as Nantucket preserves its historic architecture with care, I believe our role is to preserve and innovate upon these traditions with respect — creating pieces that resonate globally while staying rooted in local heritage.
You’ve previously made home objects such as vases and trays. Did this collection push you into adopting new techniques?
My earlier work with home objects gave me a foundation in scale and function, which I built upon in this collection. But working with woven baskets and rattan required new approaches, particularly in combining materials not traditionally paired together. It pushed me to experiment with a tradition that has existed for centuries, and it remains a challenge to perfect our interpretation of the Nantucket basket.
Which Brazilian gemstones feature in this collaboration?
We chose stones that reflect Nantucket’s natural environment, such as blue topaz, citrine, iolite, and pink tourmalines for their beauty and ability to evoke the island’s coastal landscape.