The Benítez family is one of the few left in Santa Fe de Antioquia that carry on the tradition of filigree making. Grandfather, father, sons, and daughters —and now grandchildren as well— have preserved their tradition and have lent their eyes to the delicate task of making jewelry out of fine golden threads. Jaime Benítez, a third-generation legatee, remembers a particularly exciting moment in his 4-decade-long career.

Once, while he was in Medellín, he came across a woman wearing a pair of earrings that he noticed he had made. He was careful not to stare at her, but he relished in seeing his work so elegantly worn. Those wares carried the finesse with which he learned to make each one of his wares. He crafted his jewels with patience and dedication, melting and re-melting his petals, peacock feathers, and santafereño knots a thousand times over until they were just perfect.

He remembers that he started out making the gold nuggets that are needed to craft tomatillos: the most basic of pieces that can be made in filigree. He then moved on to make espartillo necklaces and learned how to better handle the welding torch without mistakenly melting pieces. Then, in turn, he was able to craft small golden roses: a long process that let him start petal dressing. He says in all seriousness that “this does not happen overnight.” It is easy to believe him when looking closely at his pieces. He can depict worlds filled with imagination and skill that reveal decades of devotion.

Each lantern, basket, flower, ball, or miniature backpack, pin, or earring bears witness to his devotion to the craft. He also tells that, when he was barely starting, there were only two jewelry stores in Santa Fe, which were owned by Guillermo Vargas and José Ulrico Figueroa. He notes that these wares were sold all around the town’s surrounding areas, like Sopetrán and San Jerónimo. He also mentions that the tradition of putting bracelets, chains, or earrings on newborn children was considered a symbol of good luck at that time, and it is a practice that is still popular today. He has seen how the use of silver has become gradually more popular in jewelry over the years due to financial reasons. However, gold is what made Santa Fe filigree what it is, and it will continue to have a presence in the craft despite its higher cost.