Fenomena

Fenomena was founded in 2012 by designer Alejandra Llano as her answer to a question that had long bothered her: why does the emerald, the stone Colombia is famous for worldwide, barely show up in contemporary design? Not in tourist shops with traditional settings, but in jewelry that speaks a current language.

In 2015, she placed her bet on morralla, the Colombian term for a raw, unpolished emerald in its natural state. Most jewelers avoid it: the stone is unpredictable, hard to set, and refuses to fit standard forms. That's exactly what drew Alejandra to it. Since then, the raw emerald has become the brand's signature.

All pieces, earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants, are handmade from bronze and finished with 24-karat gold plating. Fenomena's aesthetic sits between classic and contemporary, with a slow fashion sensibility built in.

The brand's stores are in Bogotá, right next to the St. Dom boutique, and in the historic centre of Cartagena. And if you're looking for an affordable, non-generic piece of Colombian emerald jewelry that looks nothing like what fills the tourist shops, you'll most likely find it at Fenomena.