A New Dialogue Between Jewellery and Ceramics

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Lisbon’s ever-evolving design landscape has just gained a new destination. In the heart of Príncipe Real, two Portuguese brands, esquivel. and GRAUº, have come together to open a multidisciplinary space that bridges jewellery and ceramics through geometry, craftsmanship, and a contemporary design ethos.

The showroom, painted in terracotta and cream from floor to ceiling, sets the stage for this encounter: silver meets clay, minimalism meets tactility, architecture meets craft. Every corner is a statement, from the central table display to the scenographic window, reinforcing the synergy between both worlds.

A Stage for Portuguese Author Design

At its core, the space celebrates author design made in Portugal. For esquivel., the jewellery label founded by architect and scenographer Sofia Esquivel, the collection is an ongoing dialogue with architecture, from Modernism and Art Deco to the fluidity of organic forms.

Each piece is designed and prototyped by Sofia herself, using a hybrid process of 3D modelling, additive technologies, and traditional silversmithing. Every jewel is then handmade in recycled sterling silver (925), certified by the Portuguese Mint, underlining the brand’s commitment to sustainability.

Alongside the ready-to-wear collections, the brand also offers bespoke jewellery design, opening up the creative process to individual expression.

On the other side of the room, GRAUº, led by Diogo Ferreira and Isac Coimbra, presents ceramics that are entirely handmade in stoneware. Their pieces carry a distinctive language that oscillates between the tribal and the modern, where surface, finish, and tonal variation evoke a tactile, almost sensorial universe.

Recognisable yet ever-evolving, GRAUº has also become a go-to collaborator for architects and interior designers, developing custom compositions and large-scale works for unique spaces.

More Than a Store: A Platform for Creativity

What makes this project singular is not just the coexistence of these two practices under the same roof, but the active participation of the public. Both brands invite visitors to engage directly with their creative processes, whether through consultations for personalised commissions or through future workshops on jewellery-making and ceramic techniques.

This approach responds to a growing cultural appetite for craft and process, where exclusivity is rooted not in ostentation but in the act of making, in shaping clay or moulding silver by hand.

What’s Next

The programme will evolve with the launch of new collections: esquivel. is set to explore organic architecture in jewellery, while GRAUº introduces a limited series of its iconic masks and rope pieces, alongside new ceramic candelabras and framed panels from the “Futurista” collection.

For Lisbon, this opening marks yet another proof of the city’s role as a stage for experimental, sustainable, and globally relevant design, deeply anchored in Portuguese craftsmanship yet resolutely contemporary.

All Photography by André Nave

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