A History Told in Gold

The story behind the Poet’s Gold jewelry. A museum-quality replica of a pre-Columbian jewelry design.

Before Europeans arrived in South America, there were indigenous civilizations farming, building, and making art. And ornate jewelry decorated the tribal leaders.

The Poet’s Gold necklace and earrings are pieces of history. Like something you’d see in a museum, the design is a replica of a pre-Columbian relic. And it is crafted much in the same way as the original would have been produced—by first creating a figure out of beeswax, and using that figure to create a mold. Molten pewter is poured into the mold and, once cooled, is plated with 24 karat gold.

For the necklace, a strand of sodalite beads accents either side of the statement pendant piece, creating a dramatic effect. Sodalite is a stone renowned for its deep, blue color.

Also known as “poet’s stone,” legend has it that sodalite supports creativity and mental clarity. Which makes it an ideal material to be worn by creative people.

In the city of Bogotá, Colombia, lies a small workshop (consisting of only six artisans) called Arque Arte. It’s in this workshop where maker Oscar Santa brings jewelry to life. He first learned the art of jewelry-making from his aunt, and today, he is proud to have perfected his technique.

Providing customers with high-quality jewelry is his favorite part of his work. And he hopes that the workshop will be able to expand and bring more full-time employment opportunities to makers in the area.

With the support of the Sapia artisan group and Ten Thousand Villages, Arque Arte is able to bring jewelry such as this to new markets throughout the world. They are sharing the skills of craftspeople and creating pieces of history you can hold in your hand (and wear). The next time you’re looking for a statement piece that will turn heads and add that perfect finishing touch, choose jewelry with an authentic, meaningful story behind it.