Lapis Lazuli and Sterling Silver Artisan Crafted Necklace, "Mexican Sun"

"Hello, my name is Francisco Sánchez and I am the second generation of jewelers in my family. Today there are three, as my daughters have also chosen this vocation.

"Thanks to my father's influence, I began this beautiful occupation at a very early age. Art has formed a part of my life through my studies in architecture, painting, sculpture and jewelry. I was honored with a scholarship to study Foreign Trade in Rotterdam, Holland. In 1968, I founded a small workshop that I still direct and I personally design my pieces. I have exhibited my work in the U.S., Taipei, Munich, Vancouver and other countries. I have received several awards throughout my career, such as the Jalisco Award in Jewelry Design in 2000.

"My designs are inspired by pre-Hispanic codices and the folklore of my country that I love so much, using different motifs from our own culture. I very much like the ideas from our ancestors, always with a characteristic stylization reminiscent of our cultural and artisan past. I especially enjoy designing jewelry. I am always looking for something different to incorporate into my ideas, striving to be at the vanguard in the styles with which I deal.

"To create my jewelry, I first take a prototype of the design. I make a model with brass. It is mounted on a silver sheet, covered with a gummy paint, and burned in a petroleum flame to smoke the design. It is cleaned of impurities and polished. Each product that I design and craft is made of fine silver with Italian alloys and anti-oxidants to exceed the expectations of the most demanding clients."

Francisco Sánchez signs his work as Citlali, meaning "Star" in the Náhuatl language. "That way, everyone wearing my designs has a star to accompany them," explains Sánchez.