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Peruvian heritage inspires Cheshire jewelry designer’s work
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Peruvian heritage inspires Cheshire jewelry designer’s work
Although Achiq Designs has been in town since 2016, the Peruvian jewelry store in a small plaza off South Main Street can be easy to miss.“It’s a hidden gem,” said Fabiola Giguere, owner and founder of Achiq Designs.To get more news about make your own custom jewelry online, you can visit jewelryhunt.net official website.
Giguere came to the United States from Lima, Peru, 31 years ago at age 21 with a lot of ambition to achieve her full potential in the United States of America.
Two years after moving to Connecticut, she opened her first business, Limpiex Cleaning in Hamden, providing commercial cleaning for places like office buildings, hospitals and other medical facilities. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in business management at Albertus Magnus College.
Giguere still had dreams of opening a jewelry store. She started traveling to jewelry conventions, such as Jewelers of America in New York and Jewelers International Showcase in Miami, to show and sell her pieces.After a couple years, Giguere was tired of traveling to jewelry shows and wanted to settle down and find a place where she could showcase her work.
In December 2016, she opened Achiq Designs, where she incorporates her culture from Peru into her jewelry, often using Peruvian silver. Achiq means “bright” in Quechua, which is the Incan language.Her son, Francisco Pierre, started helping her run the business after he graduated from Albertus Magnus College in 2016 with a degree in Information Technology.
“...I dove into the business head first,” said Pierre. “It’s been great seeing her create pieces and I’m always impressed with her designs.”Once Giguere finishes a design, she sends it to artisans in Peru where the product is finished. She also works with U.S. suppliers of diamonds, ruby’s, emeralds, and sapphires.
“I love it because I feel like I’m giving back to my community back home in Peru by collaborating with them on these pieces,” said Giguere.
Each Peruvian stone has a different meaning and story behind it. Pink Opal is a soothing light pink and signifies love. The Indian Opal is named after the Andes Mountain and signifies prosperity. Chrysocolla is a deep green gem that signifies empowerment.“I wear something from Achiq Designs everyday,” she said. “Every time I go, Fabi has a story to tell about how she designed the piece and how they handcrafted it in Peru.”
“When clients order online, I make sure the packaging is beautiful so that when they open it, they are satisfied with their purchase,” said Giguere.Giguere encourages individuals to never give up on their dreams because with persistence it can become a reality.