Designer Q&A: Learn more about Alex Agudo

Being a lover of Alex's jewelry designs, I wanted to dig a little deeper into his process and inspirations for designing.  So I sat down for a little Q&A with Alex in one of his fellow artist's glass jewelry studio on a hot day in June in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood.  Here's what he had to say all about his jewelry designing process.

What's your design process like?

Whatever mood it is.  For example, the Mistura collection was inspired from dancing.  All the dancers from my Samba Class at the Old Town School of Music are different nationalities and personalities, but when dancing, we all come together as one.  Just like the metals, I like to mix metals and see them in harmony.

When did you start designing?

2002.  I started as a hobby/extracurricular activity when I wanted to give my friend a bracelet and couldn't find anything I liked in my price range.  Then I found Caravan Beads.

What are your favorite pieces to design?

Necklaces.  You don't have to do too much and you can be creative and bold or tiny tiny and someone is going to like it.  Earrings have to be just so and really light and bracelets are hard because the wrist is so discriminating size wise.  The necklace just has more versatility.

Where do you source your materials from?

Lots of places, Caravan Beads, Afgan Travel Arts, Ebrima Shilah in Chicago as well as my travels: Equador, Peru, Colombia.

You always use pearls in every piece?  As a signature?

Yes.  It's an homage to my mother, I try to include a pearl in almost everything.  Everything starts like a grain of sand, like a baby in the womb.  I include a pearl as we're all unique and are all priceless, just like a jewelry.

What are your favorite stones?

Moonstone, Jade, Emerald

What jewelry buying tips do you have?

*Make sure jewelry flows, it should have mobility and movement and is not stiff.

*Get a piece that goes with everything, like a pendant necklace with a plain chain.

*Buy handmade - support local artists.

"Life's too short to be wearing department store jewelry!"

What do you think of the "take off one piece of jewelry before leaving the house" rule?
That does not apply to me!

Have a question for Alex?  Leave it in the comments and I'll make sure he answers it!

~Kirsten