Mei and Benjamin discovered the dish during a slow, meandering morning walk through Belém’s Ver-o-Peso market, where baskets overflowed with purple berries and mangoes perfumed the humid air. Mei, always drawn to color before anything else, stopped at a stall where a vendor layered açai and mango in a glass, creating an accidental ombré effect. She immediately nudged Benjamin: “Look at that gradient — it’s practically a gemstone.”

What captivated Benjamin wasn’t just the color, but the process. She watched a vendor rhythmically press thawed açaí pulp through a wooden sieve — a patient, almost meditative movement. The texture reminded her of the polish techniques she uses in her metal studio, smoothing gold until it resembles flowing liquid. Mei, meanwhile, was fascinated by how the vendor contrasted temperatures: cold açaí, warm mango, layered so the colors met softly rather than sharply.

Later that afternoon, the two sat in a small café overlooking the Guamá River. Benjamin sketched the color transitions while Mei drew curves inspired by the cuia bowls stacked behind the stall. Over iced chá mate, they discussed how to translate a dish so regionally significant into jewellery without flattening its cultural meaning. They agreed the design had to honor the origins: sustainable gold, a color palette rooted in the fruit itself, and a form that reflects the dish’s natural simplicity rather than stylized excess.