“Three generations support Maestros Joyeros, a Mexican jewelry store that is innovating its processes with the help of technology. It all started in 1931 with Don Ambrosio Rivas, who realized the need to sell quality jewelry, and with that, built a name in the market.
After his death, his wife Magdalena Guzmán and their son César Villegas continued the business, but this time manufacturing and investing in new technologies to follow trends, shares César Villegas, great-grandson of Ambrosio Rivas and son of César Villegas, who has been immersed in the jewelry industry since childhood.
Their differentiator, not only in Mexico but in Latin America, is the ability to implement technology in their custom pieces, without neglecting luxury. For this, César Villegas says, disruptive innovation is required, which includes 3D design and printing.
But this innovation does not stray from tradition. Villegas says that in their factories, it’s possible to find three generations of a goldsmith’s family (grandfather, father, and son) working together, passing on all the knowledge of the past and present for jewelry creation.
“In this way, we have results from the combination of traditional and modern techniques; the result is art,” he says.
In the technological aspect, César Villegas says it has been a difficult process, as gold is a conductive metal and precautions must be taken to isolate the electric current so that it can work properly in conjunction with the app. “I have Engineer Jonathan Razo, who has become the expert in these kind of pieces, as it’s not just about creating a PCB, but also about the design, development, and coordinating
with the 3D teams, as well as his entire IT team and adapting the PCBs within the spaces of the pieces,” he adds.
Villegas is proud to have designed custom pieces for artists Wisin and Yandel, which, in addition to their large size and beauty, feature LED technology and controllers through a Maestros Joyeros digital app. Each piece has its own WiFienabled PCB.
César Villegas senior, who has been a jewelry salesman since the age of 13, acknowledges that in the last 50 years there has been a significant change in jewelry, with one of the most significant being the design in 3D printing, which has helped Maestros Joyeros to develop impressive pieces that are very different from the competition. “All the technology that has been merged, like LED or electronic screens, has created a significant change,” he emphasizes.
For Villegas senior, the jewelry industry in the next ten years will focus on customized jewelry, much of what is already done in their store. The trend is “to create and fulfill any type of whim that the client imagines.”
Gone are the days when merchandise was produced and sold in masses. “I reiterate, we are going to create 100% customized jewelry that represents the individual, their tastes, what they think, their style.”
Beyond aesthetics, Villegas senior says, the technology coming for jewelry pieces will be increasingly sophisticated, like GPS in complicity with other applications, to tracking for diseases and pulses. “We live in a world increasingly unified with technology, and jewelry will not be left out of the trend,” adds the master jeweler.
Maestros Joyeros is undoubtedly a modern company, but also with a great tradition behind it. César Villegas says that if he had to pass on his knowledge to upcoming jewelers, it would be to listen to their parents and grandparents, to see what they are doing right or wrong and learn from that.
The advice he gives to the new generations is to be honest in their business.
“Without honesty, you can’t grow your company. When you offer your product, you have to tell your customers exactly what you are selling, be honest, and never
deceive the consumer.”
He himself ensures that he is leaving a legacy of honesty, truth, offering the end consumer what we are selling and not deceiving them. That, he says, is his small footprint in the jewelry industry.”
Instagram:
@Maestrosjoyeros
Website:
New York Herald 
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