Organic Jewlery

Nature Inspired Jewelry made out of henequen, shells and seeds from the Yucatan jungle.​

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Native fibers.

The henequen or sisal fiber has been used since the ancient Mayas. It comes from the henequen plant leaf through a process that has changed little in centuries. Leaves are crushed and beaten by the blades on a rotating wheel until only the fiber remains. The other parts of the leaf are washed away by water and then hung to dry in the sun and heat. The fiber quality depends upon moisture content, so proper drying is important. Henequen fiber is exceptionally durable and low maintenance, because of its minimal wear and tear.

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Natural tints.

Since the early Mayan times, the indigenous have painted henequen with natural tints. I used the bark of the Chaka tree. Using a process that has changed little in centuries, we boil the bark and soak the henequen in the dark water. To obtain different tones, we added oxide. The result is a spectrum of earth colors, depending on the amount of oxide used.