Press

 

Thank you Acha Vissel in including Jóias as one of Hotspots in Israel in the Jewish Weekly Magazine NIW. I am at awe with the beautiful and kind words used to describe the shop and also the website. Looking forward in seeing you again at the shop, meanwhile...enjoy the website.

Translation....

"Sitting at a drawing board every morning at 9:00 a.m. doesn't work for me” 

Love of life

After travelling the world, goldsmith, Mônica Paz settled in Israel and opened a shop full of self-designed jewelry: "The country, it’s cuisine, the weather, everything inspires me".

 As a young girl, I was already fascinated by gems in my native Brazil," says Mônica Paz ("ignore my age, I'm young at heart"). That love has only grown since then. Anyone who has ever stood outside her shop Jòias (portugese for jewelry), located on a busy Jaffa street, will be able to tell that there is something for everyone. Refined and chic, grand and striking, with original shapes and accents. Paz used to travel a lot. "I live more intensely when I discover other countries. The culture, the people, smells and colors." She traveled through Asia, North and South America and stayed for a long time in the United States where she took lessons in goldsmithing in New York and Miami. That travel spirit diminished when she arrived in Israel in 2011. "Here I am at home," laughs Paz. The love of jewelry remained. For the first three years, she had a small stall at craft markets. However, her original, carefully and lovingly crafted designs attracted so much attention that six years ago she left the markets and opened a shop. Most of the designs are her own, and also exposes collections from fellow designers.

Eclectic and versatile

In the jewelry you can see her love of life. "I love all the materials. I especially love working with silver, whether it's plain, rose or oxidized. Besides metal, I also use leather and textiles." Each design starts with a pencil drawing. She reads through magazines, wanders through the city for inspiration. “I use my imagination, try something out, play with it. Sitting behind a drawing board every morning at 9 o'clock doesn't work for me. Sometimes an idea comes to me like this, sometimes I have to look for it. Most of the designs I make myself, regularly I also have something done by craftsmen". The collections have poetic names like Brilliant Earth, Dangling and Sassy or Raw freedom. "First there's a word. I fill in the emotion it evokes with a ring, necklace or earring." Her designs are all equally sweet to her: "I wouldn't be able to choose. Every last creation is my most beloved piece, until I start the next one." Her portfolio is eclectic and versatile. "Whatever your age or taste, with me you will always find something that suits you. I draw inspiration from a broad palette, everything inspires me: cuisines, languages, nature. I want to stimulate my senses in as many different ways as possible. When I translate that into my work, it often leads to unique pieces. You won't find the same thing anywhere else." Because of the corona crisis, a large part of the sales went digital, which is why the website and the Instagram account are being tinkered with. "As with many designers, my virtual presence - always a work in progress - is now my business card. Hopefully the borders will open soon, and I will be able to receive more customers in the shop. Making people happy is what I want most. And that's possible here. You come in and see something beautiful, spoil yourself or someone else with a gift and go out the door happy". Until then, you can take a look at Mônica’s website.