MarkitaRita

handcrafted jewelry

I began my journey as a jewelry maker when I was traveling in Central America 8 years ago. I was desiring a nomadic lifestyle at the time and selling my macramé on the street enabled me to finance my travels and gave me the freedom to create and sell my work in so many places. 

I learned from local artisans, and over time discovered the joy of creating with my hands, and sharing it with others, in an exchange for my livelihood. As my skill set grew, the work became meditative, a sweet balance of work and play. Macramé had found me, but eventually, ready to graduate into greater craftsmanship, I found myself drawn to silversmithing studies in México. After several months of study, I made the decision to dedicate myself fully to my craft and business. 

The result of that decision has taken on a life of its own, as I create intricate pieces of heirloom quality jewelry that will last for generations. I create, knowing that each individual piece of jewelry is personal and has meaning, and both the timelessness and intrinsic longevity of silver allows it to be passed from parent to child, or elder to youth. This inspires me. For some, these pieces are tokens of a special time or mementos of a special person, and for others they are amulets of protection, badges of expression, and tangible markers across time and space. 

Both macramé and silversmithing strike a perfect balance between being a whimsical art and a process focused craft. This process always begins with sourcing quality gemstones. I travel annually to Mexico, Guatemala, and the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show to handpick stones. While time consuming, it is an essential part of the process that brings me a lot of joy.  

The stones of the Earth and the recurring patterns of Nature’s endless originality is inspirational and it both provokes and facilitates the composition of my work. My pieces are handcrafted from start to finish and reflect the cosmic creative flow that comes forth at any given time. Even though I may begin with an idea, I am always surprised to see what finished product comes to fruition. This surrender to the creative process is what gives way to new and unexpected designs.

Being able to share and sell my craft is a dream. Thank you for allowing me to share my crafts(wo)manship with you!

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