When he arrived at his booth in Expoartesanías, people had to ask him twice if he was Abraham Reyes. They could not believe he was so young. He was barely out of his twenties when he began to attend fairs. At first, he was terrified, but he has gradually overcome his fears. He has been able to achieve all of this because, aside from having enough experience to defeat his shyness, he has a tenacious life partner by his side: his wife Carmen Vargas. She is represented by the “C” in his brand and is good with words —a skill that Abraham lacks.

He smiles and tells his story calmly and joyfully. He inherited these traits from his parents, Jairo and Rocío Marina, both of whom are jewelers. When he was younger, he could spend hours watching them as they pulled the fine threads that would become the precious filigree wares he dreamed of one day making. He admits that, even though he got introduced to the craft when he was 12, he initially regarded the activity as playing rather than working. So, it took him four years to learn the details of the trade. However, when he got truly invested in the craft, he became entirely devoted to it and has been fully committed to jewelry for 20 years.

He knew this would be his life when he was able to pass the cuajada del agua test. It consists of standing under the Mompox unforgiving 38-degree sun constantly whisking a bowl of water with a pinch of salt. The goal is to wait until the salt sets, which, of course, never happens: it is a rite of passage that tests the patience of the apprentices to see if they have what it takes to become true goldsmiths. Today, he speaks as if he were the tribe’s wisest man: “Goldsmithing demands great care. You cannot get angry because, if you do, your mind gets blocked and, since everything is a mind game, you do as well. In the craft of jewelry-making, you work with both your eyes and your mind: you have to ponder and imagine at first, then you can start doing.”

These words explain the coolness that we usually see in jewelers: they drink coffee or a soft drink to relax and be able to practice their trade with a clear, open, and creative mind. Following this principle of calmness, he managed to master the technique of bezeling of precious stones in filigree. This process took him some time, but he now exalts it as one milestone he has achieved in his career. Whenever Abraham puts his hands and eyes to work, he finds a way to delight us with the flowers, branches, owls, hummingbirds, butterflies, and peacocks he makes.

He also goes beyond the traditional Mompox repertoire of wares and creates novel collections of moose and elephants. He has broadened his vision and his sense of taste thanks to his foreign customers. The latter come from three different corners of the world —the United States, France, and Australia— and ask for very different designs. This has made him versatile while letting him preserve his refined finishing techniques, which may have become his trademark.

ACL —which stands for Abraham, Carmen, and Leonardo, his son— is the brand of the independent workshop he established with his family: it is their life project.