"My name is Mariana Mayta, but my friends call me Iya. I was born in Lima and my parents motivated me to create oil paintings from an early age. I loved it.

"As children, we enjoyed traveling as a family. My parents liked to take us to the mountains by car, or to family reunions at my grandparents' house. They were very happy moments. My father's death was the most difficult moment for me.

"I studied hotel management and then traveled to the US for my postgraduate studies. I worked in this field until 2013, after leaving a company where I worked for ten years. I wanted to dedicate myself to the art that I'm passionate about, so I began designing jewelry with my brother Renato and also took jewelry courses.

"Everything I do was born from the need to express art. I was drawn to jewelry because I like working with metal and using all of the tools to create a piece. There are no limits to creating and many times an idea can improve while making models.

"We use 925 silver, gems and leather from Peru. I find it challenging to achieve a design people will like without losing my identity as an artist. Working independently has also been a challenge, but I find it very motivating. It hasn't been easy being completely economically responsible for everything that makes up a workshop. Starting is difficult since you have to invest so much time and money to be known.

"My brother and I work with metal artisans and knitters from different parts of Peru who enjoy collaborating with us. We want to become some of the best jewelry artists ever. We dream of our designs being worn around the world and look forward to being able to contribute to the development of artisans and communities."