Vergara polishing a ring in his Niebla workshop. Photo by Kendal Montgomery.
There´s nothing one cannot do if they truly want it. Huger Vergara Monasterio is pure proof.
A craftsman of some of the most beautiful jewelry I´ve ever laid eyes on, Vergara´s jewelry is made for you and you only.
"Everything I make is predestined for a certain person…eventually the jewelry will find them," said Vergara.
Originally from Pucón in the south of Chile, Vergara has lived all over the country, spending a decent amount of time here in Santiago, currently residing in Niebla in southern Chile. At 18, he lost his right hand in an accident, forever changing his life, but never holding him back. He simply adapted to the situation and eventually discovered his passion for working with silver and finding precious stones. He taught himself everything there was to know about jewelry making and for the past 12 years, Vergara has been able to sustain he and his family solely through art.
"I´ve made my way in this world by doing what I love," said Vergara. "People don´t buy my jewelry because they feel sorry for me, because I only have one hand, they buy them for what they are: exclusive, quality."
Vergara pours love into each ring, necklace, bracelet, earring, throughout its creation; he feels by loving what you do and having it show through your work, you can pass that love onto others, making others feel good and special. He believes that each person is magical and wants to get to know all who cross his path. He´s an inspiration. And just as he says, it has nothing to do with the fact he creates beauty with only one hand, but because of his passion for life, the spark in his eyes.
His work can be found only by chance, though he plans to soon have a website. Throughout the summer, he travels the country, displaying his work in various festivals and craft shows. I encountered him randomly in the street while roaming about in the tiny town of Niebla; my friend had known of him prior and recognized him the street, which led us to his house where I met the ring predestined to be on my finger. It is true what he says, neither he nor I knew it at the time, but that ring was made for me. I recently met him again while he was here in Santiago, leaving some jewelry in Los Dominicos and picking up supplies; it turns out he had made yet another ring meant for me. (I may have an extreme weakness for jewelry.)
Sometimes making up to ten rings over the course of two days, Vergara never replicates a design, truly making each piece special. He also gives jewelry making classes from his workshop in Niebla and can be contacted at huger.joyeria@gmail.com.
Vergara is one those people that just has something special. He´s Chilean to the core and proud to say so. He loves life and his craft, and has shared that love with me, through the shining Brazilian Imperial Topaz on my finger.
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