Riqueza – on things of great value
THE Spanish word riqueza quite literally translates to “things of great value.” It is no wonder that jeweler (and a dear friend of mine) Erica ConcepcionReyes chose this word to represent her jewelry brand. After all, her pieces revolve around this very notion – preserving the fine art and craftsmanship of making (Filipino) jewelry and heritage wearable, not to mention, chic and affordable. First and foremost a patroness of the arts, and one who is a regular in galleries that promote Philippine art and artists, Erica’s first collection for Riqueza was created in 2010. Predominantly body jewelry, the pieces were made of filigree, tambourine, beads, and relicarios that were inspired by a vintage vest from the 1960’s. Her maiden collection was composed of pieces that spoke of Philippine heritage; vintage pieces used in the Philippines that were inspired by the Spanish colonial period that were re-worked to be wearable, without sacrificing their preservation.
It was her mentor Ramon Villegas who she would collaborate with for her personal pieces and collection who saw her keen eye for the craft, and encouraged her to eventually pursue this interest and turn it into a business. She would go to him regularly to re-work personal pieces of hers that were not available in the market, and these would often catch the attention of friends and family and garner compliments. After working on pieces for a few, the rest, as the cliché saying goes, is history.
What fascinated me personally the most about Riqueza was its bridge jewelry line, as Erica likes to call it which she started in 2011. She felt it was missing in the market then, and wanted to fill in that gap. This is a line of jewelry made by hand that uses real stone, hand-crafted in sterling silver and dipped in gold. In my opinion, I like to think of it as a notch up from your typical costume jewelry that still does not break the bank. Like many of my collaborations, my friendship with Erica has not only strengthened through the years, it has also evolved into a partnership that started eight months ago. In the midst of coffee one afternoon, we toyed on the idea of perhaps turning my sketches and drawings into jewelry. Without rigid rules except a price point we wanted to maintain, I set off to draw, and then there went Erica piecing stones together and gathering materials which we felt would bring the drawings to life. From semi-precious stones, to shells, to mother-of-pearl, to hand hammered gold to stones, turned into sea-shell carvings, leaves, frogs, bugs, flowers, and butterflies, our first collection was born. Maintaining as always, the DNA of Riqueza with a touch and added sparkle of whimsy, fun, and fantasy.
I am grateful to friends like Erica who give not only myself another outlet for my creativity to take flight, but for MovEd to expand its reach to both new and familiar markets. It also creates another platform for others to give back through – one where they are reminded of their generosity every time they wear a piece. With Riqueza, not only are patrons supporting the children of MovEd through this limited edition capsule collection, they too are contributing to the longevity of hand-crafted Filipino jewelry which in itself is a dying art. As Erica promises, while Riqueza today has evolved in terms of aesthetic – including that of vintage pieces from European jewelry houses of the 1950’s and 1960’s – Erica confidently says that its DNA remains intact. Indeed, everything is still rooted in heritage with tambourine and filigree as staples even in her fine jewelry.