Designer Liliam Higa’s jewelry blends old-world materials with industrial modern lines. Using artisan techniques and the aesthetics from her Japanese heritage to echo the urban sprawl of her native São Paulo-Brazil, Lillot’s pieces layer the rough textures of rock and mineral with the geometric suggestion of modern architecture.

“People tend to think of precious as being just diamonds, but slowly-vanishing knowledge of artisan techniques passed down through the ages are equally precious. I create my pieces to directly connect our world to theirs.”

After graduating from Faculdade Santa Marcelina in São Paulo, Liliam studied at the Okinawa Prefecture University of Arts in Japan, where she traveled the remote corners of the country learning from traditional craftsmen.