Andrea Jose Castro: Friend of a Friend
The content of this article is the opinion of the writer and was written for The Source
Andrea Jose, who first trained as a business engineer, recently graduated from London’s Central St. Martins school with a master’s in design.
Her company, Casa Collab in Peru, was the first jewelry-sector B Corp in South America! This Q & A gives a glimpse into Andrea Jose’s wonderful world!
Training artisanal miners in the Madre de Dios region of Peru, along with Pure Earth. Photo courtesy of Andrea Jose Castro.
Christina Malle: Where are you right now?
Andrea Jose Castro: I am currently sitting at my desk in Lima, responding to this lovely interview invitation by my jeweler friend Christina Malle.
AJC: Jewelry seems to have been latent in my life since a very young age. I remember my first jewelry pieces were created when I was a kid during the summer in Peru. I began collecting shells with a hole and then drawing on top of them and selling them to the people that would pass in front of our beach house.
Later on, my father brought some necklaces from Cartagena, Colombia to my mum and as soon as I saw them, I [wanted them]! Then, I began creating jewelry using beads, which I would give to my friends and family. As I grew older, I learned jewelry techniques with master artisans from Peru, whilst working for social development in mining projects. This is how jewelry and artisanal mining began taking part of my life!
CM: Are you a smith or a maker? Do you routinely get your hands dirty/chapped/filed/scarred?
AJC: I am a designer and a maker! It is important to generate a connection with every piece that comes out of my workshop. Although I sometimes collaborate with another metalsmith during my production process (in order to be more efficient together), I always get my hands dirty as I find it crucial to take care of all the details and the qualities that my jewelry pieces must have when crafted in my workshop. Those details can communicate something completely new and unique to the wearer.
CM: How did you first start learning about issues of environmental impact, responsible sourcing and “green” practices in the jewelry world?
AJC: I believe it has been more of a journey. Traveling around Peru, visiting small communities and learning to appreciate the environment, the nature, culture, and heritage helped me develop a social sense towards everything I do. Later on, I worked in social development for mining projects in Peru which widened my vision towards how to work collaboratively with the stakeholders around a company. My professional experience as an engineer allowed me to analyze the social and environmental impacts involved in a mining operation. The mix of all these helped me create the vision for my jewelry company.
CM: Do you have some go-to vendors or suppliers whom you find trustworthy?
AJC: I have great suppliers and that is one of the things that motivates my work even more. It allows me to be part of a community of companies working towards similar — or possibly [the] same — sustainability goals. My gemstones dealers for example are not based in Peru but in the US, and we share a very strong ethos regarding the way stones should be sourced.
Also, my diamond producer is a great company that has been innovating since its beginning and now they allow me to source diamonds that are produced with solar energy. I source my gold directly from artisanal miners from the Peruvian Amazon region that work without mercury and whom I helped train, thanks to the New York-based NGO, Pure Earth.
Andrea Jose Castro (front row, on left) with artisanal miners in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. Photo courtesy of Andrea Jose Castro.
CM: Please list some things readers can do to make their bench, studio workspace or business more ‘ethical,’ ‘responsible’ or ‘green.’
AJC:
Recycle most of the things we use! Classify metallic residues that come from the tools or production process into cans that you can then lend for a metal recycler.
Use a towel instead of drying jewelry in lots of paper.
Use recycled paper envelopes and recycled paper packaging.
Have an ethics policy or statement, this will allow you to create an environment where ethics in all senses (with the client, suppliers, and workers) is really taken seriously.
CM: Are there any good books you are reading now?
AJC:
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
Cómo hacer que te pasen cosas buenas (How to Make Good Things Happen) by Marian Rojas Estape
CM: Favorite websites, authors, books, podcasts?
AJC: I really like [the] Morality in [the] 21st Century podcast from the BBC with Jonathan Sacks. Amongst my favorite authors is Jordan Peterson.
CM: Favorite aesthetic inspirations? It can be visual, musical, written…
AJC: I love hearing modern violinists adapting and playing classical music. One of them is Phillip Glass and the other is David Garrett.
CM: Do you have mantras that keep you motivated, balanced or just plain sane?
AJC: My favorite mantra is “Vale la pena,” it means “It’s worth the pity,” which keeps me motivated that everything we do is for a purpose that is greater than what I can possibly imagine.
CM: Favorite way to unwind, relax, or gain perspective…
AJC: I listen to music and I like to dance!
CM: Any triumph — big or small — you would like to share, along with a takeaway?
AJC: A great push for my business was being recognized as one of the Bright Young Gems in the UK. This is something I was pursuing for a long time and when it came, it caught me by surprise.
Andrea Jose Castro with a handmade earring from her line. Photo courtesy of Andrea Jose Castro.
CM: If you could change one thing about the jewelry industry what would it be?
AJC: I’d like to change how separately each link of the jewelry value chain has been working!
CM: How can we — all of us, collectively — make the world a more harmonious and just place?
AJC: I think by being more caring in our families.
CM: If you could shadow any jeweler or maker, alive or departed, while he/she/they worked in the studio, who would it be?
AJC: Francesca Amfitheatrof; for me, she has the perfect balance of a jewelry designer offering pieces for a wide variety of consumers.
CM: Are there any other artistic or creative people, past or present, you find yourself consistently thinking about for inspiration in your work? (Could be either artistically or business-wise.)
AJC: The work of David Servan Schreiber is gently related to what a jeweler does, and his pieces are a perfect mix of craft, art and design.
CM: Do you have any advice for young people or anyone starting out in a new job?
AJC: Never be afraid. Keep going, look upwards.
Andrea Jose Castro’s work was selected as part of the NYCxDesignWeek in 2022. Andrea Jose at the opening in NYC in May, 2022. Photo courtesy of Andrea Jose Castro.
CM: What do you wish you knew then (when you were first starting out as a jeweler, maker, entrepreneur, artist...) that you know now?
AJC: That I should be more fearless and more patient! Good things will come in their time.
Thank you for reading ~ and stay tuned to meet other Friends of a Friend in the future!
What do beekeeping and fish ponds have to do with diamond mining?