"This design is natural and elegant. We were inspired by the dewdrops we see every morning in our garden," say the Jimenez Family from Guatemala. Working with natural verde manzano, or "apple green" jade, they set the drop-shaped gem in sterling silver.
"They didn't know anything about it; they both come from farming backgrounds. But along with their children Saira, Maribel and Luis Estuardo, they ventured into the world of silver and jade.
Pedro and Esperanza took a huge chance when they decided to become jewelry artisans. They didn't know anything about it;... in fact they both come from farming backgrounds. But along with their children Saira, Maribel and Luis Estuardo, they decided to venture into the world of silver and jade.
Pedro and Esperanza's story begins when on holiday in western Guatemala, Pedro – then 19 years old – met Esperanza, who was 17 years old. At the time, Esperanza washed and ironed clothes at the house of a woman whose son had a silversmith workshop. "One day I was busy carrying some corn when the silversmith’s wife called me over, and to my surprise told me she would like to offer Pedro a job!" recalls Esperanza.
"And that's how our journey into this wonderful world of jewelry began for us," says Pedro. "When I was 12 years old I had worked for a while with a weaver specializing on the pedal loom. We wove pieces to sell at the market in Antigua. It requires a lot of hard work and the rewards are few. So I gladly joined the silversmith for six years, during which time I learned a lot from him.
"Then we decided to set up our own workshop, where we could let our imagination and creativity run free, and we could work on our own designs."
Esperanza remembers that at first it wasn't easy. "Following your dreams can sometimes be difficult. In 1996 we managed to get a stand at an important fair in Peten, but we didn’t have that much money to get there. Pedro went anyway with very little money, which also had to do for room and food. Most of the time he ended up sleeping on the floor because he didn't have enough for a bed.
"I remember well another occasion, because it was my daughter’s birthday, when Pedro was on his way to deliver some products to a client and I'm not sure what happened, he either fell asleep or something, but the point is he got robbed. That was all the money we had and we were left with nothing, so I went back to washing and ironing for others, as well as looking after a private school in Antigua, where we lived there rent free. There was only one room and we were a family of five, and though it was cramped, it still felt like a palace. Previously we had lived in another place which didn't have a floor, so when it rained it would get very muddy and therefore uncomfortable.
"It's not all been bad. Through it all we've had a guardian angel looking after us and one day a gentleman offered us his little house. It had a room, a kitchen and a dining room, and it would be ours. The man didn’t know us, and yet he offered the house at a reasonable price which we could pay in installments. It took us eight years to pay for it, and it was a verbal agreement, without any lawyers or papers. We still live there, and little by little we have added to it so it's more comfortable and there's a place for the workshop.
"We are so proud to have provided our children with an education so they may grow up to be professionals and take our small family venture into new heights. We've developed a good working relationship in which everyone specializes in a different aspect and we complement each others' work:
"Luis Estuardo (now 20 years old) designs the jewelry, he is studying to become a graphic designer. Maribel (now 22) prefers to sell through our stand in the market, and Saira, who is 23, is about to graduate in business administration and she is already in charge of all things financial. Pedro refines our son’s designs to apply them specifically to jewelry, and I help with the administration and sales.
"We buy silver that has been recycled from different photographs, lithographs and films. They all have silver which is sensitive to light and it generates an image when exposed to light. However, since the image only uses part of the silver, the unexposed silver is removed and treated with a fixing solution. This is done for two reasons, it protects the environment and it is more economic. However, the silver obtained this way is fine silver (1000 rating), which is less firm and difficult to work with. So, we mix it with a copper alloy to obtain the sterling silver we all know, and we have the quality tested to prove it is of a .925 rating.
"All the jade we use, we are proud to say, is mined here in Guatemala, in the Zacapa region.
"We have managed to create a good team in which each of its members is extremely important to the proper functioning of our project."
Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
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This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 4 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
BUST
35 - 36
37 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
WAIST
27 - 28
29 - 30
31 - 33
34 - 36
38 - 40
HIPS
37 - 38
39 - 40
42 - 43
45 - 46
49 - 50
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
CHEST
36 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
50 - 52
WAIST
30 - 32
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 41
43 - 45
NECK
14 - 14.5
15 - 15.5
16 - 16.5
17 - 17.5
18 - 18.5
SLEEVE
32.5
33.5
34.5
35.5
36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.
BUST / CHEST
Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.
WAIST
Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.
LOW WAIST
Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.
HIPS
Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.
NECK
Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
SLEEVE
Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.
INSEAM
Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.
Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.
For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.
For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.
See buckle/tie belt size standards below.
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
inches
26 - 30
28 - 32
31 - 35
34 - 38
38 - 42
cm
76 - 86
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
inches
30 - 34
32 - 36
35 - 39
39 - 43
43 - 47
cm
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
109 - 119
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
Sash tie length
Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.
Belt with buckle
Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.
Belt without buckle
Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
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WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. UNICEF USA partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from UNICEF Market to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from UNICEF Market will benefit UNICEF's programs that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about UNICEF's work, on About UNICEF.
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UNICEF Market artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. UNICEF Market offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.
