Turning eighteen is special.
It's coming of age. The moment when one stage ends to make way for a new one.
As this anniversary approaches, we look back to remember everything we have experienced since we founded Nasei, but also forward, thinking about everything that is yet to come.
That's when we thought of Brilla again.
This name was born last summer, during the launch of our Gardenia and Lime Illuminating Body Oil. We titled the editorial that accompanied its presentation this way because we wanted to convey a very specific idea: the oil was not intended to create an artificial glow or a filter effect, but to subtly enhance the natural light of each skin.
Formulated with golden mineral particles, it illuminates without concealing. It accompanies the skin, respecting its own beauty.
As the months passed, we felt that Brilla had ceased to be just the title of an editorial: it had become a message.
Therefore, when thinking about how to celebrate Nasei's 18th anniversary, we thought it would be nice to transform the sun that accompanied that collection into a piece of jewelry.
A piece capable of accompanying for years and preserving that same meaning.
To give it shape, we wanted to work with someone who shared our way of understanding creation: respect for time, the value of artisan work, and the beauty of things made with intention.
This is how our collaboration with Laia Varela began.
"I've always liked to teach"
Before becoming a jeweler, Laia was a teacher.
"I've always liked to teach and I think that part is still very present in my work. But I didn't see myself as a teacher my whole life."
In 2012, she decided to study jewelry. After finishing, she did a three-month internship in Paris and made a decision that would change her path.
"I thought I would always have time to go back to teaching. It was time to try."
Today, she continues to create each of her collections by hand, in small productions and always inspired by what moves her at each moment.
"I would say my work is simple, elegant and creative, made with a lot of love. Each collection is born from something that deeply inspires me. I never choose a theme randomly. It can be an artist, a building, a trip or a tradition. I also like each collection to tell a story and for whoever wears a piece to discover something they might not have known."
When an idea finds the right piece
When we proposed to transform the Nasei symbol into a piece of jewelry, the response was immediate.
"The truth is, I didn't hesitate for a moment."
The collaboration came at just the right time.
On the one hand, Laia had known Nasei for years as a customer. On the other hand, she had just decided to collaborate with other creative projects again.
"And then you appeared. It was like: 'How great, it was the perfect moment'."
In addition, there is another nice coincidence.
"18 is my favorite number."
From the beginning, the format emerged naturally.
"You were very clear about both the name and the symbol. I immediately thought of a pendant. It's a piece that doesn't depend on sizes and can become a small amulet. The symbol was already round, so I imagined a medallion. In reality, it was the idea itself that led me to the piece."
First wax. Then metal.
Although the final result is made of sterling silver with an 18-carat gold plating, the piece started differently.
From the beginning, Laia was looking for an organic finish, far from overly rigid lines: "If I had worked directly on the metal, I would have lost that organic touch."
That's why she decided to first model the piece in wax.
Wax allows for soft curves and a much more natural finish.
"I even tried engraving the symbol directly onto the wax, but we couldn't achieve the precision we were looking for. Finally, I created the medallion in wax and, once cast in sterling silver, we made a laser engraving completely faithful to the Nasei symbol."
Then came the 18-carat gold plating, the last step before bringing Brilla to life.
Only twenty people
For Laia, a limited edition is not just about exclusivity.
It has to do with meaning: "For me, a limited edition is one of the things that can make a piece of jewelry more special. When you know exactly how many pieces exist, you feel like you're part of something. I like to think that each Brilla is a small amulet shared by only twenty people."
Working in small productions is also part of her way of understanding jewelry.
"I always work with very little stock. It's a way of continuing to enjoy the process and ensuring that each piece retains its value."
A collaboration born of trust
Laia came to Nasei looking for cosmetics formulated close to home and made as naturally as possible.
"It gave me a lot of confidence to know that behind it were two sisters who had been working together for so many years."
But there was something more. Our image, the design and the packaging of Nasei always caught her attention. A set of sensations that made her start as a customer. Therefore, when the possibility of collaborating arose, she had no doubt.
The light that remains
When asked what she would like someone wearing Brilla to feel in a few years, Laia doesn't talk about gold or silver.
She talks about something much deeper.
"I would like it to never stop shining. And that, when dark moments arrive, it remembers that it will shine again."
Then she adds a few words that summarize the meaning of this collaboration.
"Hopefully, in those moments, they will reach for the necklace, caress it and find in it a small reminder. That this thought has a physical presence."
Perhaps that is also the best way to define Brilla.
Not just as a piece of jewelry, but as a symbol. A reminder to take care of who we are, to trust our own light, and to remember that, even in the most difficult moments, we can always shine again.
You can get Brilla here for a limited time.
Text and photography · Lorena Aviñón
Handcrafted jewelry · Laia Varela
Model · Helena Cornet