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Leila Nercessian

"I was raised amid rocks. I always had an enormous fascination for them. My grandfather, Paulo Nercessian, was an Armenian immigrant and he began to work as a crystal prospector in Cristalina, Goiania, a central-eastern city of the country. After a short time his undertaking grew considerably and he began buying mines. My father, Levon Nercessian, joined in with him and dedicated himself to the more adventurous side of the business, the work of exploration - he was a kind of Brazilian Indiana Jones. Each mine is like a lottery; one never knows what will be discovered.

"Levon was considered one of the great connoisseurs of stones in the world. He bought many of the rare pieces that are now in the museums of the United States and Germany. He was one of the creators of the National Stone Fair and one of the founders of the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Metals (IBGM), created in 1977 in hopes of regulating this sector. On behalf of Brazil Quartz he represented Brazil at Expo '98 in Lisbon, in the gems sector.

"At first I found it hard to work with jewels. The family has worried and thought it rather daring for a woman. I began to sell stone pieces at the age of 16, after which I created some silver pieces and later I started with gold. In order to continue the family tradition, I continued selling precious stones and I dedicated myself to the design and creation of golden jewelry. There are less adventures, but it is equally satisfying. Soon, I managed to establish myself professionally through my own efforts. My family accepted it and I've become a source of pride. I am affiliated to the Jewelry Association of Rio de Janeiro, and the IBGM or the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Metals.

"It's fascinating to accompany the transformation of a rough stone into a cut gem. Firstly, each stone is classified according to its potential worth. Then its cut and separated by size and then cut again to obtain the desired form. Only until then is it ready to have the different facets cut with a diamond disc which wears the stone off. Afterwards, each piece is polished with a lead and tin disc employed in a horizontal manner and it is now when a chromium oxide is used to make each facet of the stone shine. The same cutting process is used for the rear. It is a craft that depends very much on the skill of the cutter."