The beautiful pendant is a locket to hold a beloved photo or treasured keepsake. She works in fine Peruvian silver bathed in 21k gold. .950 rating silver Artisan Info: Giuliana Valz-Gen was born in Lima on November 9, 1958. She recalls that as a child, she loved creating her own jewelry to wear at parties, or to give as gifts to her friends. By the age of 14, Guiliana was already wearing her own creations. When Giuliana began attending university, she also signed up for courses in jewelry making, where she learned the essentials of the craft. For her this was a hobby that she kept refining and perfecting. She was still taking courses when her husband died. At that point, Guiliana quit her studies to seek a steady...  (less)

The beautiful pendant is crafted of silver and bathed in 21k gold. .950 rating silver Artisan Info: Giuliana Valz-Gen was born in Lima on November 9, 1958. She recalls that as a child, she loved creating her own jewelry to wear at parties, or to give as gifts to her friends. By the age of 14, Guiliana was already wearing her own creations. When Giuliana began attending university, she also signed up for courses in jewelry making, where she learned the essentials of the craft. For her this was a hobby that she kept refining and perfecting. She was still taking courses when her husband died. At that point, Guiliana quit her studies to seek a steady job to support her young son. "That has been the greatest challenge...  (less)

from Jewelry of Minas Gerais. A choir of glistening agate and iridescent pearls complete this 18k gold plated brass necklace. Artisan Info: Jewelry accessories are one of the greatest artistic expressions of humankind. They can symbolize cultures and specific epochs, and Brazilian jewelry is linked both to European styles and indigenous themes. Minas Gerais is a Brazilian state known since colonial times for its abundance of gold and precious stones, especially in its riverbeds and subsoil. A great part of the economic and social development of the region is owed to its mineral richness. Its name in Portuguese translates literally as "General Mines." It is in the cities of Minas Gerais where some of Brazil's first notable...  (less)

Carlos Munoz bathes the polished pendants in 22k gold. Silver cylinders share center billing in this exquisite hand-crafted necklace. .925 rating silver. Artisan Info: "Hi, I'm Carlos Munoz. I come from a small city in central Mexico. After graduating from high school, I went to the U.S. to study English. When I returned to Mexico, I was accepted to the university in the School of Fine Arts. "It was there that I began to take private lessons in areas that interested me - drawing, painting and jewelry making. I opened a small studio workshop where I drew suns and moons. These celestial elements were venerated by our ancestors and have fascinated me all my life. "My jewelry making process begins by sculpting...  (less)

finishes the silver pendant and chain with 21k gold plate. .999 and .950 rating silver Artisan Info: Giuliana Valz-Gen was born in Lima on November 9, 1958. She recalls that as a child, she loved creating her own jewelry to wear at parties, or to give as gifts to her friends. By the age of 14, Guiliana was already wearing her own creations. When Giuliana began attending university, she also signed up for courses in jewelry making, where she learned the essentials of the craft. For her this was a hobby that she kept refining and perfecting. She was still taking courses when her husband died. At that point, Guiliana quit her studies to seek a steady job to support her young son. "That has been the great...  (less)

Carlos Munoz bathes the polished pendants in 22k gold. Silver cylinders share center billing in this exquisite hand-crafted necklace. 0.925 rating silver Artisan Info: "Hi, I'm Carlos Munoz. I come from a small city in central Mexico. After graduating from high school, I went to the U.S. to study English. When I returned to Mexico, I was accepted to the university in the School of Fine Arts. "It was there that I began to take private lessons in areas that interested me - drawing, painting and jewelry making. I opened a small studio workshop where I drew suns and moons. These celestial elements were venerated by our ancestors and have fascinated me all my life. "My jewelry making process begins by sculptin...  (less)

Gonzalez, this charming set of necklace and earrings features natural amazonite. .925 rating silver Artisan Info: "Hi, I'm Carlos Enrique Gonzalez Elera and I was born in Lima on August 19, 1953. My father was my guide in the world of art. He was a jeweler and worked at his craft day and night. I was curious about it but didn't really give it much attention. As an adult, I'd go to the mountains to trade scales for grams of gold. And this is how I became enthused about jewelry. One day, I stayed watching my father and he suggested I pay close attention to what he was doing. In this way, I began to learn each detail of every piece. I never attended workshops or courses, as my father was my teacher, although he nev...  (less)

Vivacqua designs the original pendant, which she casts of oxidized silver. The heart hangs from a leather chord and creates the illusion of a tattoo when resting on the skin. .950 rating silver. Artisan Info: "When I was a teenager, my dream was to be a tattoo artist. I'd buy tattoo magazines and spend whole afternoons creating my own designs. Stimulated by my ability to draw, I decided to study visual communication as a career and I ended up as a jeweler. "My purpose as jeweler was to treat a part of the body as a jewel, the beginning of the concept of tattoos in yellow gold. I began to use nylon threads and silicone to give lightness to my pieces, the impression that they were imprisoned in the body. Some years lat...  (less)

suggests its innocence with the purity of white cubic zirconium. .925 rating silver Artisan Info: "Hello, my name is Shanker and I come from a farming background. I studied till 10th grade and, as a family tradition, I was obliged to work along with my parents. During those days, my maternal uncle was working with a jeweler. I was always fascinated by the fancy jewelry he designed. Eventually, I quit farming and started my own small workshop. "I started designing and crafting sterling silver jewelry and slowly, with the help of family and friends, I was able to establish myself in the field. Initially, I had to face a lot of problems as people in my village like only gold, because it offers a return value. Silv...  (less)

complementing two strands of gemstones. Regina Flores selects chrysocolla's mesmerizing color for a necklace of ethereal beauty. She names it Soncco, Quechua for "Heart." .950 rating silver Artisan Info: Regina Flores Montes remembers how, when she was just a little girl, she would spend hours observing her mother at work creating fascinating gold jewelry. As soon as she was old enough to help, she'd spend more hours around her and by the time she was 15 years old, Regina was making her own creations. Her friends admired her work so much they began placing orders. She studied architecture at university, and then traveled around Europe where she studied contemporary and modern art. "But I managed to keep designing je...  (less)

choker necklace captivating. Inspired by the beauty and poise of Bali's Rajawali bird, Made Sriasih designs this piece imbued with Indonesian fascination. An accessory of wondrous appeal to complement a unique apparel. .925 silver and 18k gold. Includes a batik box with mirror. Artisan Info: Made Sriasih was born in Bali on April 14, 1964, in a village long renowned as the island's center of silver production. Her father was one of the senior silversmiths, well trained in the jewelry arts. This skill was passed on to his daughter, Made, from the time she was 12-years old until she got married. She learned how to select quality material and create her pieces with precision, employing the v...  (less)

heart. Shining sterling leaves entwine on the dark silver surface, and smaller hearts crown the pendant. By Yuniati, it is worn on a braided leather cord. .925 rating silver Artisan Info: Yuniati is a Balinese woman who married a silversmith from Celuk, which is known for its legacy of gold and silver jewelry. "Little by little I learnt how to make silver jewelry from my husband," recalls Yuniati. "The first things I learned how to design were necklaces and bracelets. Unbelievably to me, some foreign costumers loved them! This encouraged me to keep on developing more designs with support from my husband and some the silversmiths we knew. "My designs are inspired by the shape of plants and animals, and most especi...  (less)