Munay Rumi (Peru)
Munay Rumi is an artisan group based in the outskirts of Lima, Peru. This small group of jewelry artisans is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards and has shown great commitment to uphold Fair Trade principles. Munay Rumi is composed of four individuals – Evangelina Pizarro, Silvia Vargas, Sonia Anahue and Ernest Alca.
This group produces sterling silver jewelry and incorporate intricate styles like filigree into their beautiful products. Interestingly enough, these artisans learned to produce jewelry in a factory, in poor work conditions. They decided to become independent and joined the Fair Trade organization, Bridge of Hope. The colleagues formed Munay Rumi, and after a year working on design and technique, they produced their first jewelry items for export.
Their accomplishments and work are quite impressive given minimal equipment and the small size of their workshop. They maximize the use of the tools they do have and find creative solutions for the ones they don’t. They are unable to order materials and supplies for doorstep delivery, so traveling to the city by bus turns into a long ordeal and takes time away from jewelry making. As they do not have ready-made precious metal, Munay Rumi artisans must first take pure silver “grains”, melt and alloy them, pour an ingot, and then roll it out into sheet or draw it down into wire. While Munay Rumi has seen their sales increase over 50% since these trainings, each member still holds a secondary job to sustain themselves and their families.
All of Munay Rumi’s jewelry is sterling silver and incorporates various stones from Peru including black onyx, lapis lazuli, and Peruvian turquoise.
