Step into the world of Maestros Joyeros and discover the brilliance of Cesar Villegas, a visionary force behind this exquisite brand of jewelry to the stars. His ability to craft mesmerizing and unique artisanal designs has captured the eyes of millions. Cesar pours his heart and soul into every masterpiece, ensuring they are truly one-of-a-kind treasures that cannot be replicated.
Hailing from the vibrant Colonia Revolucion in Guadalajara, Cesar continues a legacy of jewelers that spans four generations in his family. Throughout his illustrious career, Cesar and his family have brought to life every dream piece envisioned by their clients, leaving no imagination unfulfilled. With Cesar and Maestros Joyeros, passion meets craftsmanship with the creation of exceptional jewelry heralded as an enduring symbol of elegance and artistry.
Having an interview for Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam cover story, Cesar Villegas talked about his lifetime love for his jewelry company and what it means to become the master of jewelry in Mexico.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Can you share some insights into the journey of your jewelry company, from its inception to its current state of collaborating with various artists using cutting-edge technology in custom jewelry design?
CESAR VILLEGAS: This all started in 1931. My great-grandfather saw that there was not a lot of people selling need jewelry and began working the market by buying and selling. My grandfather began to build a name for himself due to the quality of jewelry that he sold.
Once my grandfather passed, my grandmother and dad continued with the business and realized that continued investment in new technologies and pieces was extremely important. We never want to stay in our comfort zone and keep up with advances and innovations and continue this for generations to come like we have already been doing.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What role has technology played in the transformation of Maestros Joyeros, and how has it set the company apart from others in the Latin American jewelry industry?
CESAR VILLEGAS: The whole idea of implementing technology into our custom pieces started off with the idea of wanting to be different and do things distinctly than all that has already been done.
I was sitting inside of a Rolls Royce and the interior roof was full of stars with LED lights and it was then that I had the idea of implementing technology and lights within the jewelry pieces that we create.
Within our company there are three generations of the family working together, grandfather, dad, and son – everyone implements their ideas and together we create unique pieces that range from traditional to custom made pieces. Everything is done in house, the casting, lasering, the stamping, the tube, the way of creating the designs, whether with 3-D machines, with a computer, or the traditional method which is to create jewerly with wax.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Could you share some insights into your target market and how you tailor your custom jewelry pieces to meet the preferences and demands of your customers, especially in an increasingly competitive market?
CESAR VILLEGAS: We are one of the few designers that use 3D designs which is something that sets us apart from others. We have been successful because of the knowledge of four generations that have dealt with almost all type of preferences. Our manufacturing processes and methods do not compare to others in the same market, we have such a great infrastructure that would delivery time for custom pieces is shorter than most.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What inspired you to collaborate with artists in the creation of your jewelry pieces, and how has this collaboration influenced the design and aesthetic of your products?
CESAR VILLEGAS: I have always been invested in brands and branding – huge name brands grow because people buy and invest in their products.
At first it was hard for us to grow because we did not have a lot of people who believed in us and supported us. I knew that I had to start working with influencers who matched the audience of people that I wanted to reach. I started getting addicted to growing my brand and the hunger to get to the top kept growing. The collaborations that we have had have allowed us to improve and become the best. We are always looking to improve our quality and these collaborations give us room for improvement.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Can you highlight a particularly memorable collaboration with an artist or artists that resulted in a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece? What made that collaboration stand out?
CESAR VILLEGAS: A memorable collaboration was the one that I had with Mexican Regional singer Natanael Cano. He would be preforming at Baja Beach and wanted to a custom piece that was out of the ordinary and something that would align with the album that he was going to be releasing. We ended up making him a huge Gorilla with a PCV CARD with WiFi that connects to an app and a rechargeable battery with a retail price of 300 thousand dollars.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Could you tell us more about this innovative technological advancement you’ve incorporated into your jewelry design process, and how have they enhanced the quality and customization of your pieces?
CESAR VILLEGAS: I designed custom pieces for duo Wisin and Yandel. These pieces, in addition to their large size and beauty, have LED technology. Each of the pieces has its own PCB with WiFi technology to which Wisin and Yandel can individually connect to their phones and change the LED colors of the pieces.
Wisin’s piece is shaped as a “W” which is casted in white gold via 3D micro fusion, and more than 50ct placed on TOP diamonds (D-E color diamonds, clarity was VVS), and they are baguette cuts. Yandel’s piece is shaped as a “Y” which is also casted in white gold via 3D microfusion, and more than 42ct placed on TOP diamonds (D-E color diamonds,clarity was VVS).
***Team Credit***
MUSE:
Cesar Villegas @obmaestrosjoyeros
PRODUCTION/PR:
Burgerrock Media @burgerrockmedia
Irma Penunuri @burgerrock
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Armando de Jesus Gonzalez Lopez @armando_gonzalez_lopez
PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT:
Ramon Trujillo Cervantes @montrujillo
VIDEOGRAPHER / BTS
Daniel Ivan Blas Carrizales @blas.dc
Maria D’Lara Dominguez @ferdlaraa
LEAD PRODUCER / INTERVIEW BY
Karla Gonzalez @karlitaa21
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Jose Vielman @josevielman
TALENT MANAGER:
Enrique Erosa @enriqueerosa
GROOMING:
Oscar Pena @oscarpenamua
STYLIST:
Pablo Garibi @lasartoriabypablogaribi
JEWELRY:
Maestros Joyeros @obmaestrosjoyeros
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
