Fernando Jorge’s first venture into jewelry began when he was still a design student in São Paulo, Brazil. While still in the University, he started designing for Danielle Metais, one of the largest fine jewelry manufacturers in the country. His professional collaborations have also included designing exclusively for internationally acclaimed label Carla Amorim and teaching jewelry illustration in the São Paulo division of the renowned Italian ‘Istituto Europeo di Design’.
Through years of working in the industry and acquiring significant knowledge, he developed a deep passion for fine jewelry. He relocated to London to pursue his ambition for developing and perfecting his personal work, obtaining a distinction for his MA Degree in Jewelry Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. The two-year project-based course resulted in his collection being presented at their Degree Show in June 2010.
Fernando’s work takes inspiration from the rich and varied concepts of body, gender and sexuality found in contemporary Brazilian culture and he shamelessly exploits the blurry crossover between stereotypes and identity. His designs focus on Brazil’s association with sensuality, perpetuated through ‘the foreign eye’, the one that registers only what is different. The results are elegant and ambiguously provocative pieces, which translate the latent sensuality typically associated with this vibrant country
To materialize his designs, Fernando Jorge makes use of his strong professional network in São Paulo, which combines highly experienced craftsmen with the infrastructure of large manufacturers. This allows him access to an array of uniquely cut Brazilian gemstones and contemporary gold manufacturing technology.