Authentic Mazahua Sterling Silver Earrings with Lapis Lazuli, "Mazahua Doves"

"I'm Juan Carlos Flores and I'm an artisan who creates silver jewelry. It's an art I share with other family members — Dora Magdalena Rodríguez, Osvaldo Rodríguez and Rosario Rodríguez. We're all very happy to preserve this lovely family tradition that started three generations ago.

"It hasn't been easy, because creating jewelry requires a lot of patience and dedication. It's been a challenge learning about the market and finding balance between the creators and customers, but we've been fortunate to meet people who inspire us to keep working for the appreciation and value they give our designs. It's very satisfying to make our culture known through our work and, in the process, we've also learned to appreciate it even more.

"We mostly use granulated pure silver, which we melt to make sheets, wires and other shapes, according to the desired design. We sometimes include precious and semiprecious stones.

"Each piece is crafted by hand and all are reflections of our region's customs, inspired by nature with traditional motifs like birds, flowers and leaves. This jewelry style is also part of the Mazahua women's traditional dress.

"We are motivated to preserve our roots by promoting the traditional Mazahua art in jewelry, and keeping the craft's identity alive. We are reaching out to new markets with innovation and quality without sacrificing the family workshop tradition."