Adjustable Jade Pendant Necklace from Guatemala, "Hope and Peace"

"I'm Jorge Alfredo Lopez Garcia. I was born in the beautiful city of Antigua on October 23, 1963. When I was a boy, we lived in the Calle Ancha neighborhood near the Pensativo stadium. My parents weren't artisans, but they worked very hard so we would have the things we needed. I remember that my brothers and I loved to play soccer with our friends. Since we lived near the stadium, we spent most of our time playing there.

"As a young man, I took a job in a typesetting workshop. I liked it a lot, but then a friend offered me the opportunity to learn how to carve stone. I loved it! I began to experiment with different materials and today I work in glass, marble, jade, wood and ceramic. I've been doing this since 1992, and I enjoy what I do very much.

"My first jobs were logos commissioned by businesses. However I find greater satisfaction in creating designs of my own inspiration. It seems hard to believe, but something that began as mere curiosity has become a source of satisfaction, both for me and for others, as I like people to be happy when they acquire one of my designs.

"I especially like to engrave Maya motifs and designs, promoting the culture of this great civilization of our ancestors. What I like best about my work is knowing that people from other places like what I do, and I can offer them a glimpse of the culture of Guatemala.

"Among the things I'd like to achieve professionally, I hope to enlarge my workshop and buy better equipment to improve the quality of my work. In this way, I'd be able to sell more, give my family a better future and collaborate better as a member of my community.

"In my free time, I enjoy sports. I currently practice track, and I also like to read.

"Please know that I create my designs with great care and love. I hope you can feel my dedication when you see my works in your home, and that through them, you'll know my country a little better."