How did a company that imported stones for jewellery become a brand of such character?
Carmen Lizarriturri: My husband ran a safari company in Africa and was a professional hunter. In 1972 he founded the firm which I then continued. It started off as an import-export business. We’d bring jewellers raw materials like malachite, tiger’s eye and above all ivory and elephant hair. Mounting elephant hair with gold and silver was how I first got into the world of jewellery, where I’ve been ever since. I worked with gold for a few years, but then ploughed all my efforts into silver. Today Luxenter is now about silver, rather than gold, jewellery, which you combine with semi-precious stones. When did you make that transition? C. L.: When my children finished studying and joined the business, Luxenter was reborn with a more up-to-date style. Our silver jewellery became based on rounded shapes which are modern, yet classical at heart. That was in 1999 so we’re now 10 years old. Mencía is a superb draughtswoman and designer. She’s inherited my taste for jewellery and for curvy shap
