Alexandre Costa

"Hi, my name is Alexandre. I have always loved gemstones and when I was a kid I would go to a place where they lapidated stones and helped by sorting them out. I went because I wanted to, and I would spend all my time there, unless I was at school.

"Eventually I begin to learn how to sculpt gemstone figurines, which was a slow process. I began sculpting birds by first observing a model I liked and then replicating it. Sometimes I would take photographs of nature, and then replicate the snapshots with stones.

"Birds are my specialty, amethyst and quartz are my favorite gems. The stone helps me, because when I see a certain stone I envision the animal to sculpt.

"I got married in 2001, and my wife helps me by mounting the pieces. I enjoy working with her. Our workshop is at home, which is very convenient because I like to work at night.

"I believe that Brazilian arts and crafts are very beautiful and creative, therefore I feel very happy to know that I contribute to my country's legacy with my gemstone birds."