About
Award- winning Peruvian designer Andrea Jose strives to transform the way we view the resourcing and production of jewellery.
Working in social development with mining projects whilst learning jewellery techniques with master artisans, the particularly male dominated mining industry inspired and motivated her to value the work of strong female community leaders. Her work, celebrates the value of a reciprocal approach within the jewellery system. Andrea Jose holds an MA in Design from Central Saint Martins in London.
Andrea Jose’s work connects the value that the ancient Peruvians gave to textiles, considered more valuable than gold and transforms them into gold sculptural jewels.
A detailed study of the ancient textiles worn by Peruvian women in the Andes regions and passed form one generation to the other inspired her to
create an atelier for family heirlooms.
A mindful and slow sourcing of precious metals characterises the deep purpose for which she works. Collaboration with communities and celebrating the origin are the two main areas of focus of her design practice.
Her debut Jarap’ay Collection, presents Peruvian modern heirlooms which she calls the ‘Pearls of the Andes’.
The responsibly mined gold used in her
collections is the result of a collaboration with formal artisanal miners from the Peruvian Amazon region, a connection for the jewelry industry that she started since 2019 in collaboration with international NGO’s such as Pure Earth.
Using a regenerative perspective, each mining concession where she works in the Amazonian region implement reforestation and cleaner gold mining technologies.
Every detail of the value chain is for Andrea Jose, the jewellery itself: from the community relationships with the miners, local goldsmiths and the ecosystems.
Nominated as one of the Bright Young Gems Eco-Heroes 2021 by Retail Jeweller magazine and Force of Nature Honoree 2024 by NGO Pure Earth.
