We were lucky to catch up with Claudio Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Claudio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Ninety percent of my jewelry is handcrafted jewelry and every item of this type is unique. Many of my colleagues make molds and cast most of their jewelry.

Another difference are the materials that I use. I use sterling silver, copper and natural stones. Most jewelers use gold and fine stones.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Art has always been a passion of mine. Since an early age, I have always liked to work with my hands and I cultivated drawing and art through my teenage years and took up painting as an adult experimenting with realism, abstract and neorealism styles.

However, it wasn’t until 40 years later when I sought to combine my artistic ability with a career that I became a jewelry designer. As a child I remember visiting jewelry design shops with my dad who owned a jewelry and watch retail business in Mexico City and being fascinated as I watched the masters work with gold, silver and stones and then polish the pieces into shiny jewelry.

I began making handcrafted jewelry in 2011 and began selling at local events in and around San Antonio. In 2012, I launched my website but soon realized that I needed to study techniques to diversify my designs. So that year I enrolled at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas and learned the basics of metalsmithing and stone setting, studying such masters as Peter Carl Fabregé, Rene Lalique and Jacques Cartier. In 2016, I received my Associate’s degree in Applied Science in Jewelry at Austin Community College.

Today my handcrafted designs range from classic styles to trendy free form art, incorporating Filigree, recycled silver, and free form jewelry, in both sterling silver and copper, many with natural stone accents. My collections include rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I also make namesake jewelry and offer custom made jewelry. We offer sterling silver jewelry repair and sizing services at affordable prices. We invite you to send an image of your piece to [email protected] for a repair estimate. Jewelry boutique Athena Silversmith is committed to preserving and protecting the environment by using eco-friendly materials such as silver, copper and natural stones. We sell a Recycled Silver Jewelry Collection and offer Sterling Silver Repair Services. Through our sound business practices, we promise to continue to give Mother Nature a hand. Jewelry boutique Athena Silversmith is committed to preserving and protecting the environment by using eco-friendly materials such as silver, copper and natural stones. We sell a Recycled Silver Jewelry Collection and offer Sterling Silver Repair Services. Through our sound business practices, we promise to continue to give Mother Nature a hand.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We developed a bi-monthly newsletter to keep clients abreast of national celebrations such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Gay Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous People’s Day, and Christmas Holidays as well as new products, discounts, products and in-person events. Athena Silversmith attends festivals and events in Central Texas throughout the year, showcasing our products. The newsletter goes out at the beginning of the two month period. It links back to www.athenasilversmith.com and subscribers can shop directly from the newsletter. Here is our September – October edition. https://www.athenasilversmith.com/blogs/news/september-ocotober-2022-athena-silversmith-newsletter Please subscribe to receive our news and discounts in the future!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Athena Silversmith has had a presence on www.facebook.com/athenasilversmith since 2011 and www.instagram.com/athenasilversmith since 2016 where we post information on events and offers. The public can also shop on these two platforms. We recently joined Tik Tok and will be posting videos that show our jewelry collections.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.athenasilversmith.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/athenasilversmith
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/athenasilversmith

Image Credits
I have the rights to the photos