Unified ring.
Handmade with gray moonstone and 100% recycled sterling silver. 
Soon in my online shop.

​Huipil (top) by Fabrica Social.​

Today I modeled for my friends at Fabrica Social, who create a gorgeous line of clothing and accesories made by indigenous textile artisans throughout Mexico. They documented local designers (who are also fans of their work) wearing their favorite garments from the Spring/Summer collection, in their own studios.

When I pose to showcase my jewelry, I am also the photographer, so it was interesting to be completely on the other side of the lens. I don’t usually open up to projects like this, because I love having whole days to concentrate on my jewelry, but today’s photoshoot was lively and fun, and I got to hang out with creative people who reminded me that every experience makes life richer.

Rose Colored ring.
​Handmade with rose quartz and 100% recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.

When I was sick, I had no energy to read, write or draw. All I could do was sleep. In that state, I completely disconnected from my routines, goals and worries.

Around week four, I awoke with images of new jewely designs in my mind. Day by day, these pieces beckoned me to return. With their arrival came the curiosity and vitalty that helped me recover.

Now I am back at work exploring strong, minimal forms. Rings with powerful foundations that are grounded in their very essence.

Purity ring.
Handmade with transparent quartz and 100% recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.

My protective studio gear has arrived. I don't care if I look like Darth Vader when I'm soldering. I want to be healthy jeweler when I'm 90.

In my quest to lead a more creative and productive life, I overlooked the most important ingredient: my health. When the year began, I focused all of my energy into my work, and in doing so neglected my body. The price I paid was to spend the last month in bed with influenza, feeling weak and vulnerable.

When I first got sick, I thought I had contracted metal fume fever, a respiratory illness caused by inadecuate soldering safety practices. Fortunately this was not the case, but it could have been, due to the harmful chemicals and improper ventilation system I had been using for the past six years.

After many tests, a wonderful doctor (Dr. Juan Tamayo), gave me the correct diagnosis: I had not been eating well and my undernourished body could not fight the virus. This came as a surprise, because I considered myself healthy: I never eat sugar or refined foods, I don’t smoke, I hardly ever drink alcohol, and I practice yoga every day, but I was clearly not eating enough nourishing foods to sustain me.

From now on, my task is to improve the safety measures in my studio*, and make sure I eat wholesome and varied meals every day. To do this, I’ve been studying my favorite cookbooks: The Plantpower Way, by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt; The Medicinal Chef, by Dale Pinnock; and Crazy Sexy Kitchen, by Kris Carr and Chef Chad Sarno. If my dear sister had already published her Noble Baking cookbook, I'd also include it (her wholesome baked goods are the best I’ve EVER tasted!). 

I am learning to prepare delicious and healthy meals with the same love and creativity with which I make jewelry, motivated by the fact that with every bite, I recover the strength I need to return to my studio (which I miss dearly!).

Fellow jeweler, please follow these precautions when you work. Your future self will thank you for it: 

-Sparex –the pickling agent most of us use– is toxic! Use a warm vinegar and salt solution instead. 

-Use a ventilation system that directly reaches the fumes that come from your soldering station. If the ventilator is suspended above your head (as mine was), you will inhale the fumes first. 

-Always wear a face mask and a respirator whenever you sand and solder. 

-Wear finger tape to safeguard your fingers from cuts. I never did, and it took weeks for my wounds to heal.

Moon Talismans.
Handmade with transparent quartz, Orthocera fossil, 
​and 100% recycled sterling silver.
Soon in my online shop.  

I must have have intuited that today’s piece was not going to work when I took this morning’s picture. There are four talismans instead of the five that I need to complete my work week. That alone should have warned me to pay closer attention. 

In my distracted state, I made one bad creative decision after another, which led me to ruin three finished pieces, cut my finger, and just barely finish a necklace that I will photograph tomorrow. 

Still, I appreciate days like this, because what would life be like without contrast?

The Cacti series is now in my online shop.

I began this week thinking about verbs, then clouds and terraced landscapes. Now that I’ve finished this ring series, I realize that what I was actually seeing in my mind were cacti.

I was taking a walk through an imaginary botanical garden, looking closely at every specimen, observing its structure and feeling its texture.

​Sometimes I need perspective to understand what I am doing.

Cacti ring.
Handmade with chalcedony and 100% recycled sterling silver.
​Soon in my online shop.

I will post this week's rings to my online shop tomorrow –Saturday– at mid morning (Mexico City time). Sign up here if you want me to notify you by email as soon as I do.

When I make a piece that is succesful, I am always tempted to repeat it. But I have worked at my craft long enough to know that if I do, I’d fall into the formula trap. This trap ruins most art because it squeezes the life out of it. 

I know that there is no way to create something fresh and interesting unless I let go of all expectations and begin again. I must approach each creative exercise with the innocence and freedom of a child, who is happy to engage in the process, just to see what she discovers.

Terraced ring.
​Handmade with green agate and 100% recycled sterling silver.
​Soon in my online shop.

Fullness ring.
​Handmade with calcedony and 100% recycled sterling silver.
​Soon in my online shop.