Beth Encarnacion makes museum-worthy jewelry

As soon as Beth Felizardo Encarnacion turned 40 years old, she decided to be a goldsmith and enrolled in the now defunct San Eligius Jewelry Training Center in Marikina that was set up by Germans so they could teach Filipinos a dying craft. The mostly male students were taught various techniques working with precious metals that included filigree, granulation and repousse. Beth not only persisted with her studies for a year, but passed with flying colors. Soon after, she flew to Pforzheim, Germany to study more intricate ways of working with various metals. Upon her return to Manila, she not only brought with her the latest German equipment, but also hired her San Eligius goldsmith classmates to start a shop — Kwintas Arts and Artifacts — in Quezon City.

All these with the blessing of her husband, Nol Encarnacion, who was the original collector in the family. His passion for antique statues, jars, excavated gold, beads and ceramics started when he was a young man in the early 1970s and was fueled by great finds from the numerous digging sites from Luzon to Mindanao. One of the richest excavations was in Butuan that yielded not only pre-colonial gold and ceramics, but also antique beads that came from faraway places, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Persia, Venice and Asia dating from 500 BC to 1000 AD and were used in the barter trade of that time.

When they were first married, Beth only liked to wear jewelry and had no interest in these antique and heirloom beads that were collected by her husband, but slowly, she realized the beauty and history behind them and a love affair grew. Working with her hands, she was able to restring and handcraft beautiful pieces that friends wanted to buy off her.

Many years later, Beth not only can design beautiful pieces, but make them from scratch, too — working with gold, silver, diamonds and other precious stones, as well as the antique beads that started her passion.

“I create pieces not just for any jewelry collector, but for the collector who prefers jewelry that combines art, history and craftsmanship — and someday can even be deemed ‘ museum worthy,’“the jeweler-designer enthuses.

For inquiries, call Beth Encarnacion at 913-2555, 913-2576 or email kwintasjewellery@yahoo.com.

Beth Encarnacion with husband Nol and daughter Noliza in the Kwintas workshop-display room located in Quezon City

Photos by NATALIA JACINTO Cuff bracelet and necklaces of gold-plated silver and antique tambourine beads and relicario pendants in contemporary modern settings with earrings of dangling antique Spanish colonial “creolla” ear ornaments.

Excavated antique and heirloom glass and clay bead necklaces hand knotted and designed by Beth Encarnacion. The collection took more than a decade to complete.

Gold- plated granulated silver earrings set with turquoise, lapis lazuli and coral branches are paired with oversized cameo pendant, set with antique and vintage tambourine, coral flowers and jade leaves and strung on a necklace of fabric-like woven...

Large framed merschuem carved image of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( from Belgium) accented with mother-of-pearl flowers attached to a vintage gold plated silver alfajor necklace

Moss green agate bead necklace and layers of old garnet, carnelian and crystal beads with handmade gold plated silver spacers reproduction of Philippine pre- colonial excavated ‘ pipa’ body ornaments

18k gold handmade earrings and pendant in a pectoral design strung with excavated glass beads

Handmade gold plated silver reproduction of Philippine pre- colonial excavated buckle pendant on a necklace of multi- colored heirloom glass and clay beads