Jorge can solder a silver orb so small it could disappear beneath a fingernail. The flame is many times larger than the piece, yet his fingers do not shake. He brings them together, waits precisely long enough and withdraws the flame. A marvel to watch!
I have watched him do this many times, and it still amazes me. Decades of knowledge have settled into his hands.
I met Jorge when I began studying jewellery making. I was learning direct metalwork and lost-wax techniques, and discovering the enormous distance between drawing an object and making one that actually works.
I felt very comfortable with him almost immediately, and his knowledge and devotion to the craft were undeniable. I could see it in the way he examined a connection, handled a tool or turned a piece of metal between his fingers.
A design can be mathematically perfect and still contain a problem. A clasp may not close correctly. A beautiful connection may be too weak. Something that looks balanced on a screen may feel wrong once weight and gravity enter the equation.
Jorge sees these things before I do. He knows where metal will resist, where it needs strengthening and when the easiest solution would ruin the character of the piece.
Over time, he has also learned to understand what I want the jewellery to feel like. I can explain why a form must feel powerful without becoming heavy, or why a tiny detail cannot simply be replaced. He understands that the feeling matters as much as the construction.
I bring the concept, research and drawings. Jorge brings the knowledge that allows the metal to carry them.
The taller is where this exchange becomes visible. Pieces are heated, blackened, soldered and filed. Something precious may look rough and unresolved for hours before its final form begins to appear.
I design every SERGIO STUDIO piece. Jorge is one of the people I trust to guide it through that difficult passage from an idea into something that can be held and worn.
I know what I want it to become. His hands know how to get it there.
