By Manuela Igreja
handmade sterling silver studs
2cm length
After moving to Australia from Portugal, Manuela Igreja began to explore the diverse landscapes and fell in love with the local flora. She gathers botanical elements such as seed pods, succulents and other textural plant parts from her walks around Melbourne.
Back in her studio, Manuela creates unique, sculptural pieces with a combination of her found objects that perpetuate the beauty of the natural world around her. Using the lost-wax casting technique to make her jewellery, Manuela uses gold and silver and sources local gemstones. She is passionate about working with local suppliers and makers and minimising her carbon footprint on the earth. Wearing one of Manuela's pieces is like having an eternalised fraction of Australian nature on your finger.