How I Got Here: The Evolution of Matilde Faria Mourinho Felix

By Karen Dybis | February 18, 2026

Matilde Faria Mourinho Felix (pictured) started Matilde Jewellery in 2020 to represent the things that matter the most to her: love, beauty, responsibility.

The newly minted entrepreneur named her business not after herself but as a tribute to her mother and grandmother, who are also named Matilde.

Now, as the London-based fine jewelry brand enters its sixth year, Mourinho Felix says she and her company have both grown beyond her expectations. Her goal for 2026 is to expand Matilde with new partnerships—she is exhibiting at the NouvelleBox Paris show next month—and collections, like the limited-release Five Stones.

Five Stones comprises five half-carat lab-grown diamond necklaces, each honoring a year Matilde has been in business. Mourinho Felix says she selected the diamond shapes to tell a story of how her jewelry designing has evolved and reflect the maturity she feels the brand has reached. Year one is represented by a round brilliant diamond, “a symbol of beginnings and wholeness,” according to the Matilde website—and more specifically, a symbol for the company’s stable foundation.

Matilde five stones — *Matilde Jewellery’s Five Stones collection features necklaces with 0.5 ct. lab-grown diamonds in marquise, pear, emerald, oval, and round shapes.*

The diamond for the second year is a marquise, reflecting the brand’s ambition and growing sophistication. For the third year, a pear shape symbolizes transformation and the challenges of running a business in an ever-changing jewelry landscape.

Year four’s oval diamond speaks to harmony and connection, as the Matilde clientele became loyal brand ambassadors. And for the fifth year, the diamond has an emerald cut—striking, architectural, and strong, as Mourinho Felix describes it. Matilde has found its voice and is ready to reach new milestones.

“Every piece reflects not only how far we’ve come but also the shared journey that made it possible,” says Mourinho Felix.

She says her journey has brought her to this point because of the support she has enjoyed throughout her life. Her father is Portuguese soccer legend José Mourinho, and her family lived in Portugal, where she was born, as well as England, Italy, and Spain for his coaching career.

“My family moved around quite often, which is something I’m so grateful for. I have one younger brother, and we are quite close to each other,” Mourinho Felix says.

MATILDE jewelry — *The clean, modern lines of the Jupiter ($4,018) Saturn rings ($2,755) and Astra cuff ($3,729) exemplify the designer and brand’s jewelry philosophy.*

She attended high school in London for high school and remained in the city to attend the London College of Fashion, graduating in 2018. She got her master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the Condé Nast College of Fashion, also in London, in 2020.

During college and grad school, Mourinho Felix held multiple internships in fashion-related creative industries: with a photography agency called D&V Management in London, at magazines including Porter, GQ, and Wonderland, and as an assistant event producer for event-planning agency INCA Productions.

While working toward her master’s, Mourinho Felix began to focus her time and attention on jewelry. And when she was founding her own jewelry company, she decided to use recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds for her understated yet impactful designs, as a way of establishing her own voice within a crowded field.

“I believe jewelry doesn’t need to be loud to stand out. Minimal, thoughtfully designed pieces can feel both timeless and modern, making a quiet but confident statement,” Mourinho Felix says.