Josefina-and-Cecilia

Artisan Organization: Josefina and Cecilia

Country: Mexico

"We have verified the strength of the stones we paint, and how they can convey emotions, memories and history beyond the color or shape they have.

"Hello, we are Josefina and Cecilia. We have been making jewelry for several years; we say that it is ‘a divine gift’. It all started with a cloth basket that my mother gave us before she died; the content was marble stones, and I observed them as similar to the white sheets of a notebook. I took one of them and painted a tree on it; it was also a shape to heal what we carry inside. From that moment until now, it has been a constant search and education. At the beginning, we did not know what to paint. We have learned through trial and error, listening to our clients and from what we seek to convey through each piece.

"What the marble stones did was to be the means to express what we felt, a way to channel that loss; and later, that emotion of knowing everything we can do in them. We have learned in our own way, from each of the people who are part of our marble stone jewelry project. Each stone is unique; we respect its shape and size, and therefore, it ‘tells us’ what to embody in it.

"The materials we work with are marble stones on which we design completely by hand. What we enjoy the most is knowing that we are fortunate enough to do what we like and that our clients also like it. It is amazing to see how the stone is transformed, its nobility to accept the colors, and to see how, when the piece is finished, it becomes something so unique. We like the challenges it offers us and the inspiration that comes from our childhood memories, from what Mexico gives us through its culture and traditions, its colors, its fields.

"Being self-employed has been quite a challenge. My sister Ceci and I founded this great project. What began as entertainment ended up being our greatest work. We have had to learn everything, manage, understand the innovations of the trade, and stay up to date.

"We want to see our work in great places in Mexico and abroad. We hope that our fellow artisans can develop their talents and that, in addition to having a livelihood, they are happy." "