Sterling Silver and Mate Gourd Bird Pendant - Love and Peace

Artisan Organization: Fabiana Quispe

Country: Peru

"I come from the Quispe Family, other featured artists, and I learned by watching my father at work as well as other artisans in my village. I enjoyed creating my own designs and eventually I decided to be immersed in the wonderful world of jewelry.

"When I first started, I crafted small pieces with simple designs to gain practice and be able to earn and save enough to buy my own materials and tools. I began to work alongside my parents and relatives in 2001 but, now that I have my own family, I decided to become independent so that I could provide for them.

"One of the most interesting lessons to learn was about polishing. I could polish everything except for the actual jewelry — my nails would end up being polished, or I would end up perforating the silver! Now I'm proud to say I'm an expert when it comes to polishing.

"I've always enjoyed all kinds of manual crafts like knitting, embroidery, sewing, and baking, but in the end making jewelry wins above all.

"I tell people I have the best job in the world and I give it my all — my patience, my love and my hard work — in order to achieve the best quality possible.

"I'm motivated by a desire to highlight women's beauty and personality through my designs and creations. What I'm trying to transmit are new jewelry ideas, because in Peru we are capable of crafting all types of jewelry so they are available to all.

"To me, this art form is a way to express our ideas through our different designs and the love that we feel for it. I have exhibited my work in Lima and throughout the country.

"We are simple, humble people looking for a way to get ahead. All of our jewelry is crafted with love and high professional standards.""