Jewelry artist displays work for purchase

The IU Art Museum’s gift shop, Angles, will wrap up its two-day Meet the Designer event Friday.

The occasion featured pieces by Andrea Kruman, a jewelry maker that draws on the natural beauty of Brazil.

“It’s wonderful meeting all the students,” Kruman said of her first University trunk show. “There are a lot of beautiful students and a lot of international students.”

She said she began her jewelry business when she recognized a desire for Brazilian jewelry due to continual compliments on necklaces, rings and earrings in that style gathered from the country.

After she brought pieces from Rio and sold them in upstate New York for three times the original price, she opened several stores there, selling wholesale.

She said she began to construct her own designs five years ago and travels back to Brazil four times a year to create her custom designs.

“Brazil is fashion. It’s women. It’s always changing,” she said. “My designs are definitely Brazilian.”

She plates all her jewelry in either 18 carat gold or white gold and uses only semi-precious stones from Brazil.

She also incorporates leather in some items.

Kruman said her creations are inspired by Brazil’s rainforests, beaches and even the sidewalks in Copacabana.

She has featured her creations on QVC and traveled to fashionable cities like Milan and Paris to sell her designs.

Kruman said she adores figuring out what women want in these different places in order to create designs accordingly.

“I’ll make a necklace with 12 strands, and the American women will say they want eight,” she said. “Then I’ll go to Mexico, and they’ll want 20.”

When the manager at Angles, Murat Candiler, met Kruman at a trunk show, he said he knew he wanted to feature her designs at IU.

Angles will continue featuring the designer’s jewelry and will give students a 20-percent discount on any piece throughout December.

Kruman’s pricing ranges from $25 to $175.

Some customers, like Lilly Library employee Jessi Steiner, found Kruman’s pieces appealing given the time of year.

“I think the jewelry is organic and lovely,” said Steiner. “It’s a great price point, especially for Christmas shopping.”

Kruman will be outside the gift shop on the second floor landing of the IU Art Museum selling her pieces  until 2 p.m. Friday.