"I WAS VERY LUCKY TO MEET ANA SIERRA. I loved spending time with the goldsmiths and the women gold panners and creating a collection that is both environmental clean but also celebrating the heritage of the Afro Colombian traditional goldsmiths."
Pippa Small Forbes magazin
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Any travel plans?
JOIN US FOR THIS IMMERSIVE DESIGN EXPERIENCE
COLOMBIA
TUMACO
June 16 - 26
Dive into the magic of Afro ancestral goldsmithing
ENJOY THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE of COCREATING your own jewelry pieces in aluvial eco-gold and Colombian artisanal emeralds. Meet the artisanal ancestral women gold panners and colaborate with master afro goldsmiths who carry century old traditions in chain making, filigree and stamping.
All HOSTED BY ANA SIERRA, OUR FOUNDER, the Colombian pioneer for sustainable practices in jewelry; and well traveled ethical jewelry designer Jessica Hudson, founder of Nomad Jeweler.
Both our hostes are members of Ethical Metalsmiths, the community of responsible jewelry.
GET INSPIRED!
AN INSPIRING TWO SESSIONS VIRTUAL WORKSHOP TO DESIGN YOUR OWN CAPSULE COLLECTION, is the start of our journey, six weeks before coming.
Discover biogeographical Chocó´s rich biodiversity and its unique cultural heritage of Afro gold panning. Enjoy an introduction about the powerful symbology of the Afro centuries old jewelry and its ancient techniques of filigree, stamping and chain making.
LEARN WHAT MAKES COLOMBIAN EMERALDS so unique and exclusive, and pre-order your customed-cut artisanal Colombian emeralds from the towns of Muzo and Chivor.
DAY 1 THE VALUES OF GOLD
EXPLORE THE COSMOVISION OF COLOMBIAN PRE HISPANIC GOLDSMITHING AT THE GOLD MUSEUM. Once in Bogotá go back nine centuries to explore the arts and crafts of Pre hispanic gold metalurgy. Our first day starts with a guided visit to the world renowed Gold Museum: the largest Pre hispanic gold masterpieces collection of our planet.
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VISIT A FAIRMINED GOLD REFINERY NEAR BOGOTA or take a hands on workshop about Colombian emeralds with our GIA specialist.
Photo: Ana Sierra
Photo: Ana Sierra
DAY 2
MEET THE WOMEN GOLD PANNERS
Sunday morning we fly to Tumaco where we will stay at the Hotel Los Corales.*
OUR FIRST STOP WILL BE TO MEET THE ARTISANAL ANCESTRAL WOMEN MINERS. They will teach us the technique of gold panning and exchange their experiences about this century old craft.
THE EVENING BRING A WELCOME COCTAIL at the hotel, after a short kick off meeting.
VIDEO COVERAGE
A local team of young videoproducers will cover your journey and take photographs for you to take back home and share with family and customers the making of your capsule collection protoypes and the memories of this eco-gold journey to biogeographical Chocó.
DAYS 3- 8
MORNINGS CELEBRATING CENTURY OLD GOLDSMITHING TRADITIONS
DEVELOP YOUR OWN PROTOTYPES during the week.
Starting on Monday, we will have a meeting with the goldsmiths to coordinate the development of two to three prototypes of your capsule collection.
Every morning we will visit the goldsmiths workshop to colaborate and follow up.
AFTERNOONS ENJOYING LIFE IN THIS TROPICAL TOWN
A TASTE OF THE LOCAL GASTRONOMY is the start of every afternoon.
After lunch, every day will bring a new experience: a filigree hands on workshop guided by the new generations of women jewelers; mangroove planting with the women "piangueras" to pay back to nature the service it is offering us; a visit to the Arts and Craft School and a sea bath, will allow you to taste the vivid life of this tropical town and get to know the charm of its kind people.
The evening closes with dinner at the hotel.
Photo: Ana Sierra
Photo: Ana Sierra
Photo: Ana Sierra
JOIN THE MANGROVE
REGENERATING PROGRAM
Be part of the Mangrove Regenerating Program and support this most exceptional ecosystem, one of the ten hotspots of our planet.
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Biogeographical Chocó is 2% of the earth's surface, and home to 10% of the biodiversity of our planet. This exhuberant territory was isolated for centuries between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains.
But the opening of roads in the 1990s to bring services to the isolated communities, also brought illicit mechanized gold extraction. Nowadays 75% of this biodiversity and the peaceful life and cultural heritage of the locals are threatened.
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Mangroves are vital to the ecosystem. Not only because they are the trees that capture more Co2, but also because they create a barrier against higher tides caused by climate change.
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CONTRIBUTING TO A BETTER FUTURE
BRING BACK HOME YOUR OWN PROTOTYPES, hand crafted with single origin aluvial eco-gold, delicately hand panned by ancestral artisanal women gold panners.
Your visit will contribute to dignify the work of these Afro gold panners and jewelers, bring decent work to their rivers and benches and contribute to keeping alive this vanishing cultural heritage.
LEARNING FROM THE NEW GENERATIONS
PARTICIPATE ON A HANDS ON FILIGREE WORKSHOP with the team of Morro Joyeros. This group of young jewelers and entrepreneurs was born thanks to a project promoted by the NGO Save the Children. They will teach us the basics of filigree handcraft.
You will work with upcycled silver from x ray plates and lithographies: a circular economy project from Metales Procesados, the second generation family small business in Bogota.
Photo: Ana Sierra
OCEAN DISCOVERY
A BOAT RIDE WILL TAKE US TO THE ISLAND OF BOCA GRANDE.
After a one hour ride around the mangroves and the timber stilt houses, we will enjoy salsa music and a taste of the local food in the pristine and beautiful island of Bocagrande.
VISIT TO THE ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL
AN UNFORGETTABLE FAREWELL EVENING AT THE ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL starts with a guided tour to show us how this institution safegards the ancient crafts: How to buid on the sea with stitl house, the new jewelry workshop to preserve the art of filigree and chain weaving and the local gastronomy classes.
LUNCH WILL BRING THE DELIGHT OF LOCAL GASTRONOMY preprared by the school apprentices: this will be time to share our experiences with the goldsmiths who will join us.
DAY 9
BACK HOME with a new network of friends, a creative bagagge of stories to share with family, friends and customers and your heart full of gratitude and joy for an indeleble regenerating experience.
Photo: Ana Sierra
JOIN US!
INSPIRE YOURSELF with the centuries-old cosmovision of biogeographical Choco goldmithing and make yours the sophistication and mastercraft of this ancestral heritage WHILE SHINING WITH THE POSITIVE VALUES AND SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL IMPACT YOU HELP US BRING UPSTREAM.
Together we can keep making jewelry a thriving force for these Afro goldsmithing communities and help keeping their cultural heritage alive.
If you want further information just whats app or write to us. We´ll be back ASAP.
We would love to be your hosts!
