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| Sterling Silver and Jade Maya Bracelet |
The streets of Flores, an island in Guatemala, are paved
with colorful cobblestones; and a crescent-shaped lake, Lago Peten Itza, is
known as a gateway to the World Heritage Site Tikal National Park.
The
park is the location of “amazing ruins from an ancient metropolis.” Guatemala is also home to featured jewelry
design team the Jimenez Family.
It is a stone best known for its beautiful deep green color
that can be opaque, flecked or cloudy.
However, it also comes in shades of lavender and pale blue. In China it was known as the “royal gem” and
called “The Stone of Heaven.”
Pre-Columbians in Central America revered it more highly
than gold. This stone symbolizes
immortality and is a prominent focal point in the delicate, recycled sterling
silver jewelry collections of the Jimenez family. I am talking about the lush, glossy gemstone
jade.
Pedro and Esperanza Jimenez along with their adult children
Luis Estuardo (Creative Director), Saira (Finance), and Maribel (Retail) source
all of the jade implemented in their creations (including lavender and blue
jade) entirely from Guatemala.
Everything from sugar cane to geometry to shells and flowers inspire
exquisite jade pendants, jade rings, and jade bracelets.
The subtle ornamental style of sterling silver tendrils and
long, sculptural lines is lovely as it offsets jade cut in half cylinders,
cabochon and cushion cuts, and square baguettes. There is a gentle regality in their
aesthetic. The visual is intense and
understated, bold and unassuming all at once.
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| Sterling Silver and Jade Maya Treasure Pendant Necklace |
Surprisingly, Pedro and Esperanza’s venture into jewelry
making came unexpectedly. Both come from
agricultural backgrounds, and although Pedro had worked for a weaver at age 12
neither had any other connection to creating handicrafts.
At the time Esperanza worked as a housekeeper for the mother
of a silversmith one day the silversmith’s wife was visiting and called her over. “To my surprise she told me she would like to
offer Pedro a job in her husband’s workshop.
Pedro joined the silversmith for six years and I learned a lot as well.”
When the couple decided to set up their own workshop they
were met with many challenges including financial setbacks and finding a home
for their growing family. After
acquiring a sizeable home from a kindly stranger, the family poised themselves
to further their goals to produce jewelry.
“Following your dreams can sometimes be difficult but it has
not been all bad,” says Esperanza. “Through
it all we’ve had a guardian angel. We
were eventually able to add a workshop to our house.
We have provided our children with an education to be professionals
and that allowed us to take our family venture into new heights.
Everyone specializes in a different aspect of
the business and we complement each other’s work. We have managed to create a good team in
which each of us is extremely important to the proper functioning of our
project,” says Esperanza.
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| Sterling Silver and Jade Nature Immortal Cocktail Ring |
2013 Jewelry Trend Alert: A
symbol of feminine energy sterling silver’s understated glow is a key style
trend for the year.
In addition, green
is this season’s go-to color and the dusky tone of green jade is the perfect
complement to the lithe sterling tendrils of the Jimenez’ beautiful jewelry.
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