Belmont Emeralds and ART’G Featured in Forbes Brazil and Latin American Insider
The journey from a Brazilian emerald mine to international fine jewelry connects Belmont Emeralds and jewelry house ART’G in features by Forbes Brasil and Latin American Insider. Through designer Márcio Granatowicz’s Emerald Lake collection, both publications explore how a gemstone’s origin, the expertise behind its preparation and a designer’s vision come together in a finished jewel.
Gilson Garrett Jr.’s Forbes Brasil feature, “Da Gruta ao Topo,” follows that journey from Belmont’s underground mine to recognition in Munich. Paolo Manzo’s article in Latin American Insider, published on September 8, 2026, adds a closer look at the collaboration’s emphasis on provenance and the landscapes that inspired the collection.
Read Paolo Manzo’s original article in Latin American Insider (in Italian).
A Journey Beginning in Minas Gerais
The story begins at the Belmont Mine in Itabira, Minas Gerais. During a visit described by Forbes Brasil, Granatowicz accompanied the extraction of an emerald approximately 150 meters underground—a gemstone estimated to have taken between 500 and 600 million years to form.
Bringing that material to the surface requires geological knowledge, specialized equipment and trained professionals. Preparing it for jewelry involves further expertise, as recovered emeralds are cleaned, classified and evaluated according to qualities including color, brilliance and transparency.
The Forbes Brasil feature illustrates the selectivity of this process: one metric ton of rock may yield only about 10 grams of emerald. Of the material subsequently selected for auction, only a small proportion reaches the standards required for high jewelry.
ART’G and Belmont brought this work into view through an immersive experience described by Latin American Insider. Accompanied by specialists, guests explored underground galleries and facilities where emeralds are cleaned, classified and cut, gaining a closer understanding of the people and processes behind the finished stones.
Brazilian Emeralds Meet Canadian Inspiration
Designed by Granatowicz, Emerald Lake draws inspiration from Canada’s mountain lakes and forests. Belmont emeralds give the collection its green palette, paired with ART’G’s signature “Ouro 18k Veludo,” a matte finish in 18-karat gold that lends the pieces a soft, sculptural quality.
The collection connects two landscapes through jewelry: Canadian scenery informs the designs, while Brazilian gemstones provide their central material.
That connection is particularly clear in the Anel Buquê, or Bouquet Ring. Created as a tribute to Granatowicz’s mother, Minda Granatowicz, who founded ART’G in 1984, the ring brings together 14 individually cut and hand-shaped concave gold discs, two natural diamonds and a central emerald.
Its adjustable construction accommodates natural changes in the wearer’s hand throughout the day, expressing the designer’s belief that a jewel should be made to be worn. Choosing a ring also allowed him to celebrate an individual emerald’s character without needing the closely matched pair typically sought for earrings. The piece earned a nomination for the Inhorgenta Award in Munich. Although it did not win, the nomination brought international recognition to ART’G’s design and craftsmanship—and to the Brazilian emerald at the center of the piece.
Origin as Part of the Jewel
Both features give provenance an important place in the story. Belmont’s ability to document the emerald’s journey through mining and processing helps connect the finished jewel with its source. Latin American Insider also describes ART’G’s use of blockchain-based digital certification to support verification of its pieces’ authenticity and provenance.
For the wearer, these details add a clearer understanding of where a gemstone came from and the work involved in transforming it. For the collaboration, they connect Belmont’s mining expertise with ART’G’s approach to artisanal jewelry.
Together, the two features tell a shared story of Brazilian materials and creativity reaching an international audience. Emerald Lake gives that story a tangible form, carrying emeralds from Minas Gerais through Granatowicz’s design process into pieces created to be worn and appreciated.
About Belmont
Belmont Emeralds operates an emerald mine in Itabira, Minas Gerais, Brazil, combining geological expertise with specialized mining and gemstone processing. Its work connects Brazilian emeralds with the international jewelry market, emphasizing traceability and the expertise involved in bringing each gemstone from the mine to a finished jewel.
About Art’G
Founded in 1984 by Minda Granatowicz, Art’G is a Brazilian jewelry house now represented by second-generation designer Márcio Granatowicz. Its creations combine artisanal craftsmanship with contemporary design, including the signature “Ouro 18k Veludo” matte gold finish. The Emerald Lake collection pairs Belmont emeralds with designs inspired by Canada’s lakes and forests.