Taking part in competitions has always been a way of getting some exposure in the beginning of a career. There are several jewellery institutions that promote competitions between students and already renowned professionals, giving the opportunity for their work to be judged by big names, and at the same time, serving as a great challenge for the creators, who end up being obliged to “get out of the box” and drink from more varied sources of inspiration. Icaro has always been very successful in competitions. In every one he has taken part in, he has always achieved an important position, including first place in some occasions. 

His first award was the “Tahitian Pearl Trophy”, a contest that promoted the black pearls of Tahiti, sponsored by the master of black pearls, Mr. Robert Wan, today Icaro’s close friend. At the time of the award, he was only 18 years old and it was his first participation in a contest. The projection of this event was remarkable and the consequences of such an achievement were immediate. Invitations began to appear and doors opened. This contributed greatly to his name being selected in 2010 by the Cartier Academy, which took the care to analyze his early work and portfolio and invited him to join a team of young designers specializing in luxury items that same year in Milan. After that, other several awards were received, including ones in Thailand and India.