Spending the winter in Belize, I worked for EL Zafiro, a Jewelery and watch repair business that my grandfather started sixty years ago. Ernesto Sabido Sr. and Jr. are specifically goldsmiths, though my studies with them were limited to silver and copper smithing.
To work in a low tech shop, in a developing country, has completly altered my material sensitivity. My grandfather and uncle, like most Belizean craftsmen practice their craft with a eye opening sense of realism. They are forced to be inventive and make use of everything. Because they learned in the traditional apprenticeship system they are not accustomed to the the access to tools and materials that we have here in the US. Almsot all of their tools are handmade, they operate within a small community of local watchmen and jewelers, and initially made their business buying and selling precious metals in Chetumal and Merida, Mexico.
The caribbean is not without its dangers and short comings, but I fel that it is in many ways the other side of the coin. It is not a land of abundant wealth, and many survive through raw ingenuity. I will forever make pilgrimmages back to my home country, and each time, learn more about the jewelry trade. I am the young man of fifteen grandchildren who will carry this precious family tradition for future generations to come.
Images in Order:
View off BelCan Bridge (Port of Belize):
Belize met the western world under agression from the English colonial empire. It remained a colony until 1982, valued primarily for its immense rainforests of Hardwood, specifically Mahogany.
Saturday Market:
Food in belize is so accessible and cheap. The local agriculture is strong and fertile. All the beef is grass fed, and most produce is grown by local farmers and brought fresh to market bi-weekly.
Chetumal, Mexico:
We traveled to Chetumal to visit the larger commercial; centers there. Belize is a country of immigrants, and The Sabidos are originally from southern Mexico.
Snap Shots of 25 Victoria St:
The cement shop where my grandfather and uncle produce and repair jewelry is located in the older quater of Belize City.
The casting and annealing station occupies a section and the jewelers benches fill the rest of the space. The shop also has an open store front and glass display case. There is one shot included in there of silver crystalizing in baterry acid. An annomally that we could not explain. Like any old school craftsman, my grandfather, with a smile, on his face told me not to question the world's miracles. This is the essence of their craft. They possess a command and understanding of precious metal, but simultaneously a reverence and respect for it. Often the metal is anthropomorphized, and to "work the gold" is to equated to dancing with a woman. Don't grasp your partner too close or too loose, but keep the beat of the music, take the lead, and mind your steps carefully.
Rain or shine, the dance went on, and my love for a different kind of fabrication and craftsman's life blossomed.
