More About Corazon Latino's unusual silver jewellery

People often ask us why our jewellery is so different... This is the story behind Corazon Latino and the amazing people who make it for us.

Catherine DArcy

Founder - Corazon Latino.

I started Corazon Latino in 2004. I was studying Spanish in Mexico and met a talented young silver jewellery designer. During a bit of shopping frenzy at his studio, and not speaking great Spanish I nodded and smiled at the wrong moment and found I'd accidentally ordered 10 bracelets with matching necklaces based on a Christening bracelet my Irish grandmother had given me MANY years before.

At the time, I had no plans to set up my own business and no experience in jewellery design or online retailing. But, finding myself with an unexpected stock of gorgeous jewellery, and having fallen for several of his other lovely designs, I knew there was a great opportunity to launch a range of this lovely silver jewellery in the UK.

I may not have known anything about online retailing or jewellery design, but I did know what I wanted from an online jewellery store; A site that was safe and easy to use, and jewellery that looked at least as good when it arrived as it did on the site; and what I wanted from my jewellery; amazing, unusual, showstopping pieces that people would stop me in the street and ask about and great quality pieces that I could wear for the next 20 years.

So with just 20 designs and my wonderful sister coming on board to help make it happen, we set out to give people an online jewellery store that we could be proud of...

Now, more than 6 years on and 6 ranges later, we have over 150 contemporary designs made by some incredible artisans across 3 continents.

Our initial Mexican range has evolved into just under 100 designs made by 5 incredibly talented silversmiths with a combined jewellery making experience of over 150 years.

These wonderful people are brothers Jorge and Luis Estrada, Jaime Ortiz, Carlos Figueroa Lopez and one of the few female artisans in Mexico, Alicia Fuentes. Jorge and Luis specialise in high quality moulded designs like our lovely Galatea Set. Born and bred in the beautiful silver town of Taxco, Jorge and Luis are second generation silver smiths with over 50 years experience between them. Their father was a silversmith, and their sons already work in the family business.

Jaime Ortiz specialises in the intricate handmade pieces in the range. Designs like our stunning Cassiopeia set and contemporary Catharina necklace, bracelet and earrings. He also makes the signature Jupiter Necklace, one of the original 20 pieces, and still a firm favourite.

Carlos, makes detailed moulds by hand to make our lovely cast designs. He is responsible for our amazing Aphrodite silver soulmate bangle and the the new spinning soulmate rings, a first for us.

Alicia is one of the few female silversmiths in Taxco. She is responsible for our bestselling Pandora bangle and the fabulous retro Thalassa bracelet as well as our classic Elara choker a stunning piece in its own right or the perfect support for our chunky silver pendants and charms.

Silver making in Taxco tends to be carried out by craftsmen who work on a freelance basis for various designers and companies. There is a huge variation in skill and experience (and price), with many artisans taking the safe route of making standard mass produced or machine made pieces for larger companies which are then sold onto wholesalers and appear all over the world on websites and in high street stores. Jaime, Jorge, Luis and Alicia are at the top end of the scale. They work for us and some of the biggest names in silver jewellery. We pay them higher prices to ensure that not only is our jewellery of the highest quality, but they are also rewarded for their loyalty and commitment to our smaller quantities and exclusive designs. We are forever grateful to them.

In the last 3 years, we have expanded beyond Mexico in our search for the most unusual designs, most interesting materials and the best craftsmen to turn our ideas into reality. 

3 years ago I decided to indulge another passion; Amber. I have always been fascinated by amber, its beauty, antiquity and incredible individuality. Unfortunately, Taxco may be the silver centre of Latin America, but it isn't the easiest place to find amber, or craftsmen with 30+ years of experience in amber jewellery making. So my new passion took me to the shores of the Baltic Sea, where I found Michal, a man whose passion for amber is only matched by his jewellery making skill. Michal makes beautiful amber jewellery in a vast range of designs, but more importantly, he was willing to indulge me and create a range of unique pendants, all handmade using Baltic amber combed from the beach beside his home and set within a silver cage, hand wrapped to hold and compliment each unique piece of amber. Because each piece of amber is unique, every pendant is slightly different in terms of colour, inclusions (the prehistoric debris trapped inside the amber), shape and size. With colours ranging from cream to butterscotch, pale honey to deepest cognac and pale lime to forest green, amber has never been so fascinating or versatile.

2 years ago, to add a little "bling" to our amber selection, we sourced some incredibly rare, florescent amber from the Dominican Republic which Michal kindly set for us in a simple sterling silver pendant with an art deco feel to it. Classically pretty by day, these incredible pendants come alive when you take them clubbing. Put them under a UV light and they glow brilliant blue. How's that for show stopping?!

Last year, we went rustic with our amber, with big chunks of honey coloured Baltic amber wrapped in delicate silver with unique flourshes on each pendant.

All our amber are limited edition pieces. We make what we can from the amber that appears. Buy one of these pendants and not only will you have a piece of handmade jewellery that started life hundreds of thousands of years ago, but also something that you will probably never see again.

2 years ago, we started working with a fabulous team in Thailand who developed some contemporary silver jewellery designs for us including the super Eros baubles set and the stylish Lutetia bracelet and necklace. They also agreed to make us some premium quality liquid silver jewellery to our own specifications.

Development of our 2010/11 range took us even further afield, into the hills of Northern Thailand in search of the famous Karen hilltribe silver. After 6 months work, we are thrilled to have added some stunning Karen hilltribe pieces to the range. Famed for their exquisite handmade silver beads and botanically inspired designs in 99% pure silver, we have had them create some unique pieces for us which we know you are going to love. From the delicate Flora bracelet and necklace to the show stopping Electra, and the amazing Athena oak leaf bangle, these really are special.

We also pushed the boundaries with a heavy silver wire bracelet and a gorgeous knitted silver chain-mail bracelet which feels incredible on your wrist and looks spectacular. The chain mail has proved so opular we are already working on a show stopping necklace for launch Summer 2011.

Some of our loyal ladies asked us to add a little sparkle and colour to the range, so new for 2010/11 we added both gemstones and pearls. But of course, we didn't do it the "normal" way... To complete our new rings range, we had 2 fabulous jewelled rings made exclusively for us in the gem capital of the world; Jaipur. Set with 4 different classic cut gems in either fire or ice colours, they are simply stunning. From Garnets to Peridots, Amethysts to Topaz, these rings sparkle with light and colour. If you like them tell us, perhaps we can be persuaded to add some gems to our other jewellery for 2011.

Traditional pearls tend to have a slightly frumpy image, but there is absolutely no reason why you can't do something a little different with them. On my travels I came across these incredible Keshi pearls, extremely rare (and getting rarer as pearl farmers start x-raying their oysters to catch the rebels) they are made when rebel oysters spit out their grain of sand and create an irregularly shaped, flat pearl of pure nacre (instead of a typical cultured pearl which is nacre around the central nucleus). Because they are pure nacre, their lustre and shine is even greater than a standard cultured pearl, and their shape makes then much more striking and contemporary. We have 4 lovely keshi pearl necklaces in 4 natural shades (cream, peach, champagne & silver grey) and the stunning bronze and soft green tinted versions, perfect for any autumn bride or a girl who wants some serious impact with her outfit. We will be launching more tinted pearls shortly with the addition of Chocolate, Gold and Raven's Wing (shimmering black and purple) tints.

Our newest arrivals come to us from the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali. A beautiful range of delicate handmade chiming pendants in 6 intricate designs combining a sterling silver filagree cage and a delicate chiming brass ball. They make a wonderful gift and an unusual variation on standard silver.

As always, all our silver jewellery is tested by the London Assay office and given our own unique hallmark to guarantee the quality and purity of the silver as sterling. All our pieces are personally checked and polished before shipping to ensure you get exactly what we promise. Should you be unhappy for any reason when your jewellery arrives, we will offer you an exchange or refund. No questions asked!

We really hope you like the range. We had fabulous fun creating it, and hope that you approve. If you have any other questions about any of our jewellery, please feel free to give us a call or drop us a line.