950 Silver and Onyx Cat Pendant Necklace from Peru, "Bow Tie Cat"

"I'm a Eloy Huarhua Vara and I am a jeweler born in Cusco province in 1979. I am responsible, happy and, above all, an artist.

"My start in silverwork was difficult because I had to divide my time between other jobs to pay my bills and support a family. When my first son was born, I had just lost my job. It was a difficult situation, but I had to overcome it. Life in a town far away from big city made it difficult for me to find a steady job and I had to work really hard.

"Going back and forth between my hometown and the city, I was always aware of the large name-brand stores. There were so many tourists interested in Peruvian jewelry and apparel made with traditional textiles, as they interested in our culture and history. I signed up for a jewelry making course and began learning. I don't doubt this is the best decision I've made in a long time. I'm excited about learning more about crafting processes.

"I worked day and night, thinking nonstop about designs and everything I could transmit through a piece. It has been lovely and it fills me with joy. When you work hard and persevere, things flow and this is what happened with my jewelry.

"I've constantly received training. At the beginning, I had to rent machines and go to other workshops to borrow materials. But little by little, over time, I was able to set up my own workshop. It grew from nothing and I found a lot of information and training online. I learned that, if I could master this art, I could better manage my time, travel and discover new places to sell my crafts, taking with me the story of my people, my homeland, and the most typical concepts of the Inca Valle Sagrado.

"I set a goal of working very hard to create unique and high-quality jewelry. I've met a number of artisan colleagues who became my teachers and played an important part in my becoming an artisan.

"I work with silver and Peru's beautiful gemstones that make my designs brilliant and elegant. I especially enjoy the final processes, and even more when I see shoppers wearing my jewelry. It's a sign that I’ve reached them with my ideas and I love that.

"A dream of mine is to build a house in the country where people can practice handicrafts, take courses and discover new trades while enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery. I'm very happy to be a part of Novica because it's given me the opportunity to show my art to the world."