It was Peru, the summer of 1973, and the stirrings of change and alternatives could be felt in those of us who were open and sensitive to higher forces. I left my Pacific coast hometown of Trujillo to see the world.

Seeking freedom and to satisfy my curiosity, my friend, Oscar, and I arrived in Cusco, “the heart of the Inca Empire.”

Cusco was, at that time, the “meeting place” of young hip travelers from all over the Americas and the world. The words Peace and Love were heard here and there. Among my traveling, seeking peers, I met many who gained their livelihood by creating and selling handicrafts on the road. I quickly learned to create simple craft jewelry from materials on hand and continued my journey through various countries in South America and, eventually, back to Peru and Cusco about two years later.

That involvement led me to wire bending and wrapping. I began to depend on my jewelry skills as my primary income source. Then, in 1979, I met a couple of Spanish jewelers who went to Peru specifically to create and produce silver work. With their friendship and tutelage, I learned the beginning tricks of soldering sterling silver, using a foot-pedaled kerosene torch that was common among the traditional silversmiths in Cusco in those days.

From that time, my involvement with sterling silver, semi-precious stones, plus my own designs has continued and expanded to now include 14K and 18K gold, precious stones and the fascinating array of tools, supplies and materials that are available to jewelers here in North America.

Pedro Castro
delcrisol@hotmail.com