OC ELEG​ANCE, STARTED BY NA​TURE - FINISHED BY HAND

The Artisan's Story

My Journey in the Art of Jewelry

My journey began during my childhood in my hometown of Quito, Ecuador. One day, while walking through a local plaza, I heard a group of people speaking a language I did not understand. It immediately caught my attention and made me wish that someday I could speak another language too.

Curious, I asked who they were and what they did. One of the tourists, who spoke Spanish, explained that they were professional jewelers from California, USA, visiting Ecuador on vacation. I didn't know it at the time, but that simple encounter would stay in my mind and eventually become part of the direction of my life.

In my late teens, I moved to California. By coincidence—or perhaps destiny—my first job was with a jewelry manufacturing company. That opportunity opened the door to a world that would become my lifelong passion.

Wanting to learn the profession properly, I attended the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), one of the most respected institutions in the jewelry and gemological industry. Later, I completed my studies in art and jewelry design.

But I quickly learned that jewelry making cannot be mastered from books or classrooms alone. I worked for different companies, constantly seeking more experience and learning the techniques, tricks, secrets, and traditions of this extraordinary craft. Every jeweler, every workshop, every mistake, and every piece I created taught me something new.

Eventually, I moved to Michigan, where I worked for one of the area's prestigious jewelers before taking the next major step in my journey: opening my own establishment.

Over the years, the jewelry industry has changed dramatically. Technology has advanced to an incredible level, transforming the way we design, manufacture, and learn. CAD, 3D design, printing, and modern manufacturing methods have made things possible that would have been unimaginable when I first entered the trade.

But technology has not replaced the artisan. Instead, it has challenged us to evolve. Those of us who learned jewelry making with our hands have also had to learn how to work side by side with computers and constantly changing technology while preserving the craftsmanship and knowledge that machines cannot replace.

For more than 40 years, I have also had the privilege of teaching jewelry making and CAD design, sharing the knowledge and experience I have accumulated throughout my career and receiving many recognitions along the way.