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Oscar Figueroa Escorcia

"I was born in the city of Taxco on February 2, 1964. I studied until secondary school in the same city. I then traveled to the state of Mexico to study high school and then in Mexico City I did a degree in business administration. Later, I studied marketing at a post-graduate level.

"Growing up in a silversmith environment, especially since my city is recognized worldwide for its silver jewelry, I decide to venture into this same business. In 1983, at 19 years old, I began to make my own designs. It took me four years to prepare the design and elaboration of my own lines. Now I am proud to say my jewelry collections have been accepted in the US, Europe and South America.

"The process begins with the melting of pure silver that is purchased in small grains, forming an alloy with a minute amount of copper to give the metal a better consistency and to be able to work with it. That is why it is 0.925 silver.

"Once the metal is melted and transformed into a sheet, it is passed through a laminator to make wires, cases, etc. When we have the metal and it is ready to be worked, the designs are placed on certain areas of the sheets. They are cut, then sanded on all sides. In the case of bracelets and necklaces, they are put together using wires already specific to the intended design - flat, triangular, square, etc. They are joined with silver welding using a gas welding torch and this is how they begin to take on shape whether it is flat, twisted, concave, etc.

"The size and specifications of each product are doublechecked to see if any corrections are necessary. Once joined, the pieces are submerged in nitric acid to clean the silver and leave it white. Afterward, if the design requires stones, the stones are set and adjusted according to the design. Finally, the pieces are polished by hand with cotton cloths over a polisher with a small motor using a special paste. It is in this step that the surface of the piece is given its smoothness and now it is ready to shine with a mirror finish.

"To clean impurities from the piece, it is submerged in an ultrasound tub to pass the quality control test where they accept or reject pieces.

"My collections are based in the origin and traditions of our culture - some are entirely classic, while others also incorporate highly stylized elements. When the designs are well thought out in the varied original materials of our country, it is easy to create jewelry lending beauty and elegance to the wearer."