Manuela Soares of ArtOuro & Gemas is honored at the NextGen Coloured Gem Industry Awards 2026, which recognizes a new generation of leaders committed to shaping the future of the industry.

Brazil’s presence in the international coloured gemstone market has earned new recognition. Manuela Soares, CEO of ArtOuro & Gemas, a company participating in Precious Brazil, was among the professionals honored at the NextGen Coloured Gem Industry Awards 2026, an awards program dedicated to a new generation of leaders contributing to the industry’s development through innovation, sustainability, and responsible practices.

The achievement also highlights the work of companies participating in Precious Brazil, a project carried out by the Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association (IBGM) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). For Manuela, the international recognition goes beyond her individual journey and helps increase the visibility of Brazil’s entire gemstone supply chain.

“I don’t see this award solely as personal recognition. It also brings visibility to Brazilian gemstones and, above all, to the people behind them — miners, cutters, traders, jewelers, and so many other professionals who have built this industry over generations,” she says.

A Journey Rooted in Teófilo Otoni

Manuela represents the second generation of ArtOuro & Gemas, a family-owned company based in Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026. Her professional journey has brought her close to different parts of the supply chain, from small-scale miners, cutters, and traders in the region to buyers and professionals in the international market.

This experience has taken her work beyond the company itself. Today, Manuela serves on the Board of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) and chairs its Compliance & Sustainability Committee, participating in international discussions that are helping shape the future of the industry.

At ArtOuro & Gemas, which works exclusively with natural gemstones, transparency and access to information have been part of the company’s strategy for more than a decade. The company provides customers with information such as whether a gemstone is natural, any treatments it has undergone, and its declared origin, considering these details essential to understanding a product’s value and rarity and to making informed purchasing decisions.

“It is not enough to find an extraordinary gemstone, cut it, and bring it to market. We need to build trust throughout that entire journey,” Manuela emphasizes.

Responsibility Also Means Inclusion

The relationship between sustainability and the inclusion of small-scale producers is one of the central themes of Manuela’s work. A significant share of Brazilian gemstones is connected to Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM), involving families and communities with ties to the activity that span generations.

In her view, advances in traceability, compliance, and responsible practices must take this reality into account. Rather than creating requirements that could push small-scale miners out of the formal supply chain, the challenge is to develop pathways that support their formalization, professional development, and access to markets.

“A truly responsible supply chain is not one that simply eliminates those who have greater difficulty meeting new requirements. It is one that helps these people become part of the transformation.”

From Exceptional Gemstones to Building Value

Brazil has internationally recognized gemological diversity, including tourmalines, aquamarines, Imperial Topaz, morganites, amethysts, and many other gemstones. In Manuela’s view, however, beauty and variety must be accompanied by other attributes to strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

Formalization, traceability, professional development, correct nomenclature, and international communication are among the areas she identifies as priorities. Highlighting the stories of producing regions and the knowledge of miners and cutters can also help increase the perceived value of Brazilian gemstones.

“I would like Brazil to be recognized not only as one of the world’s major sources of exceptional gemstones, but also as a source capable of combining beauty, authenticity, knowledge, and positive impact in producing communities,” she says.

Precious Brazil as a Partner in Internationalization

Participation in Precious Brazil is part of ArtOuro & Gemas’ process of building a more consistent international presence. According to Manuela, accessing international markets requires continuity: companies need to understand different markets, build relationships, adapt their strategies, and maintain ongoing contact with buyers and other industry professionals.

Through the project’s initiatives, the company expands its participation in international events and its connections with buyers, designers, manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders. This international presence also provides an opportunity to closely follow changes in the global market and bring new knowledge and perspectives back to Brazil.

According to Manuela, the impact goes beyond the results achieved by any single company.

“When Brazilian companies present themselves abroad in a structured and consistent way, we are not only promoting our own brands. We are helping position Brazil as a relevant and reliable source of gemstones and jewelry for the global market.”

The recognition at the NextGen Coloured Gem Industry Awards 2026 reinforces this movement by highlighting a Brazilian leader committed to advancing the supply chain while bringing greater international visibility to the values that can strengthen the positioning of Brazilian gemstones in the global market.

About ApexBrasil

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to

promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to

strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business

platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand. The Agency also acts in a coordinated way with public and private players to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil with a focus on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.

About IBGM

The Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association is a national, non-profit private entity founded in 1977. Its mission is to represent, integrate, develop, and promote all segments of the gem, jewelry, and fashion jewelry chain. The association works as an advocate for their interests and by promoting knowledge transfer, trust, and appreciation of their products among consumers.

About Precious Brazil

Precious Brazil is a sectoral initiative aimed at supporting and promoting Brazilian companies in the gemstones, jewelry, and fashion jewelry segments in the international market. The project is the result of a partnership between the IBGM – The Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association in partnership with ApexBrasil – Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency . Through trade promotion, market intelligence, and image-building initiatives, the project seeks to strengthen the design, sustainability, and diversity of Brazilian gemstones and jewelry in the world’s leading consumer markets.