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Monica Yumi

"I'm Mónica Yumi Yagui, born in Lima to a family of Japanese origin. My grandparents immigrated to Peru in the 1920s in search of new horizons. They stayed here, fascinated with the country's beauty and history, just as I am.

"With them, they brought their customs and traditions, teachings that I learned and grew up with. Together with our natural riches and our own stories, they serve as an inspiration for all my designs.

"My parents transmitted to us the bases of Japanese family unity, honor, respect and devotion to our work. But they also taught us to know and love our grandparents' adopted homeland.

"They took us on quick trips through Peru so we could see with our own eyes what the inhabitants were able to do today and in ancient times. We also take great pride in our Peruvian heritage.

"My siblings and I are the fusion of millenary cultures and I try to rescue the best of each for my own personal development.

"I'm a law school graduate but, curiously, I don't work in this field. I exchanged legal codes for jewelry books. I've always been attracted by precious and semi-precious gemstones, especially those mined in Peru. As soon as I had the opportunity to do so, I didn't think twice – I dedicated my time fully to my passion, design.

"Today I'm presenting my first collection through Novica. I try to play with all these things I love – Andean gems with their range of vivid highland colors. The blue of a clear sky, the turquoise of lagoons, the shades of red and rose in the ponchos worn there… I blend these together with fine silver threads. Each piece is painstakingly crafted one at a time, and this makes my jewelry magical, without an equal. I give each design a Japanese name in honor of my maternal grandfather.

"Japanese tradition dictates that the grandfather must seek the best name for each member of the family, following certain ancestral guidelines. The oldest daughters receive a name that begins with the syllable ha, which means 'first.' For example, my grandfather lovingly called me Hatsumi. Like him, I decided to give each one of my designs a name that begins with 'ha.'

"Every piece of jewelry is created with the finest materials, gemstones and our incomparable Peruvian silver. With the painstaking workmanship and perfectionism of the Japanese, they become unique objects of great value." Monica Yumi empowers women by providing training, and jobs that permit women to stay at home with their children while earning a living.