Peru Handmade Silver Flower Earrings, "Foliage"

Regina Flores Montes remembers how, when she was just a little girl, she would spend hours observing her mother at work creating fascinating gold jewelry. As soon as she was old enough to help, she'd spend more hours around her and by the time she was 15 years old, Regina was making her own creations. Her friends admired her work so much they began placing orders.

She studied architecture at university, and then traveled around Europe where she studied contemporary and modern art. "But I managed to keep designing jewelry, which I would send to my mom, who'd have them made by expert silversmiths," Regina tells us.

Upon her return she enrolled in archeology courses as well as in Peruvian and Latin American history – she has always been involved with the preservation of Andean culture and Quechua language.

"I've been designing jewelry since 1970. I would describe my work as entirely creative because I want to transmit through my designs the exotic beauty of Peru's natural landscapes. For this, I tend to use the gems and materials favored since pre-Inca times. My aim is to express the poetry, wisdom and artistry of my predecessors. My biggest challenge thus far is to merge science and art, and live only from art."

Her eyes easily detect the artistry found in nature, which is why she values so much the original, unpolished charm of gems. Her pieces do not feature perfectly cut or lapidated and polished stones, and she strives for minimalist designs. "I believe beauty is found in the simplest of things," admits Regina. "That is why my creations go from stylized to fantasy.

"My creations carry with them my pride of belonging to a country that is exotic, magical and historic. My jewelry is my personal way of honoring my predecessors and my beloved Peru."