Gold Indian
Gold Indian
Gold Artisans, Filigree Artists of Colombia
“ In the first steps the skillful worker receives the stone which has been reduced to dust,..rubs it over a wide tilted plank pouring water over it all the time; then, the earthly matter in it, disolved by the water, runs down the plank while the one that has the gold in it stays on the board due to its weight. Repeating this a number of times, first he rubs it softly and pressing lightly with loose-texture sponges it takes away the porous and earthly matter until all is left is pure gold dust”
When I saw Aicardo López working it was like no 2000 years have passed since Diodoro of Sicily, the Greek historian from the 1st century b.C, described like this how the ancient egipcians extracted gold from the bowels of the Earth. Aicardo’s tools, a man in his 50s with the tan and wrinkles of someone used to working under the sun, were so traditional like the egipcian’s: a type of beaten wooden box, over it a strainer for the larger stones and the only testimonies we were in the 21st century were a construction worker helmet that served as a water bucket and a shovel. There, at the Cauca river shore a few meters from the ancient Puente de Occidente, that minute figure bent down over his tools and somewhat imprisoned by the storm clouds and the mountains that form the river canyon, was a faithful reminder of the indian tradition of paying tribute to their gods through gold.
Of all Colombian indian gold tribes none settled this part of the mid-Cauca river valley. Southward up the same valley the Quimbaya indians created their beautiful figurines by the lost wax process. They molded their figurines in beeswax covering it with a layer of clay and putting all this in a fire the wax melted out of the clay block leaving the empty shape inside ready to pour in the tumbaga, a copper and gold alleation just like it’s done nowadays, maybe taking the form of one of the famous ‘poporos’ inspired in nature. North of the town of Santa Fe de Antioquia was the indian culture of Urabá who molded also natural representations, specially animals with raised tails or two-headed birds. However the first filigree instructors, the art of creating figures with gold thread, in Santa Fe de Antioquia weren’t the indian gold artisans but people from Mompox where curiously gold was not mined but hoarded up in the era when the Spaniards stripped their colonies from all the gold they could gather. Through time the Santa Fe citizens learned filigree many times passed from generation to generation like Anibal Ramos tells it: “I have been doing this for around 18 years. This is like hereditary. My brother taught me whom was taught by an uncle himself. If any of my children has this talent then I’ll teach him too.”
Filigree is an ancient art and the greeks practiced already in the 5th century b.C after working with granulation where tiny gold balls are set up to form delicate designs in relief.
At the Jaime Benitez shop, one of the traditional last names of Santa Fe filigree, an artisan passes a gold bar some 2 ½ inches long through a machine with rollers similar to a spaghetti cutter. The gold bar, one of the most malleable metals in the world, stretches and stretches unimaginably to the point when it becomes a thick thread that the artisan then passes through ruby discs with different callibers until what was a small gold bar is now a thread as thin as hair. Now the true art begins. With this thread many things can be done. Braided for example, it gives a beautiful relief. Benitez, meanwhile, is working on a ring for a ‘quinceañera’. Life for the people of Santa Fe is marked like a pendulum by their gold jewels. The newborn receives a gold bracelet, then comes First Communion, fifteen years in the case of girls, graduation, marriage. In Santa Fe’s old women’s ears and hands are represented all the special days of their lives. The traditional designs reign: the ‘woven small ball’, that “is not seen anywhere else, everything we do: the ‘little rose’, the ‘little tomatoes’, all that comes from antiquity” Jaime Benitez explains.
And the work is meticulous. Gold grains as well as tiny gold thread rings are handled, and where two figures touch each other a millimetric golden solder joins the parts. Little by little, minute by minute, a ring gets its final shape. Four hours of work leave a ring blackened by the solder flame. Still ahead is polishing and cleaning. It’s not easy work. Like Anibal Ramos said to me when I asked if he was ever to teach his kids the filigree art: “This is a very ungrateful job, the artisan works too hard and never gets from what to live”
After working 6 hours digging and filtering, Aicardo Lopez got his day retribution and before the afternoon rain placed a slip of paper with 3 grams of gold dust inside an El Rey matchbox. It was not a bad day for him; he will get 11.000 pesos (around six dollars) for that quantity. It didn’t matter to him that the next day that gold would become a handmade filigree jewel whose value for the owner will be more than double what it paid for it.
About the Author
I am a professional photographer who usually writes the text for my assignments. My images and text have been published in many magazines, calendars and books around the world.
Carlos Sastoque Photography
Old Classic Indian Ad of Gold Spot
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1900 Indian Cent Struck on Gold $2½ Planchet PCGS MS 65 $600,000.00 |
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Indian Head Half Eagles, ($5 gold coins) 24 Coin Set $100,000.00 |
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1910-S $10 NGC MS65 $10 Indian Gold $70,965.00 |
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***1913 Indian Gold $5 Matte Proof Coin, PCGS PR-66*** $69,500.00 |
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1854-D $3 GOLD INDIAN AU50 PCGS $39,900.00 |
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1911-D $2.50 Indian PCGS MS63 STRONG D $2 1/2 Gold $38,692.50 |
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1888 $3 NGC Proof 65 Cameo Three-Dollar Gold Indian Princess $34,500.00 |
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1854-D $3 GOLD INDIAN AU55 ANACS $32,500.00 |
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Gold Investor Lot (10) $10 Indians & (10) $5 Indian Half Eagles NGC MS63* $25,436.00 |
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Gold Investor Lot (15) $10 Indian Head Gold Eagles NGC – MS64 * $25,255.00 |
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Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagle Complete Set MS-61 1911D $23,499.00 |
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8.18CT DIAMOND 14K GOLD WEDDING NECKLACE EARRINGS SET INDIAN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY $20,000.00 |
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Gold Investor Lot (15) $10 Indian Head Gold Eagles NGC – MS63/MS64* $19,642.00 |
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1908-P TEN DOLLAR ($10) GOLD INDIAN TYPE WITH MOTTO – GEM BU $19,000.00 |
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30.00CT DIAMOND RUBY 14K SOLID 70GMS GOLD NECKLACE EARRINGS SET WEDDING INDIAN $18,999.00 |
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41.00CT DIAMOND TOURMALINE SOLID 88GMS GOLD NECKLACE EARRINGS SET WEDDING INDIAN $18,500.00 |
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█ $250,000, MAHARAJA-,22 KT █ PURE GOLD!! █, ANTIQUE INDIAN ORIGINAL NECKLACE!█ $18,499.00 |
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1855-C $1 INDIAN PRINCESS GOLD DOLLAR PCGS AU55 $18,000.00 |
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Unusual & Chic OLD (c.1930s) INDIAN ROSE CUT DIAMONDS & 22k YELLOW GOLD EARRINGS $18,000.00 |
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6.50CT DIAMOND 14K GOLD WEDDING NECKLACE INDIAN WEDDING ENGAGEMENT $17,000.00 |
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Gold Investor Lot (15) $10 Indian Head Gold Eagles NGC MS62* $14,651.00 |
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1865 $ GOLD INDIAN MS66 NGC $14,500.00 |
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Gold Investor Lot (10) $5 Indian Head Gold Half Eagles NGC MS63 * $14,262.00 |
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1914 INDIAN $2.50 GOLD COIN HIGH GRADE QUARTER EAGLE RARE $13,500.00 |
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1909 $5 Gold Indian Head Half Eagle PCGS MS65 GEM! $12,975.00 |
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1912 $10 Dollar Indian Gold Coin, NGC MS-65 $12,875.00 |
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1914 US Gold $5 Indian – PCGS MS65 $12,500.00 |
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1878 $3 INDIAN PRINCESS HEAD GOLD COIN CERTIFIED NGC MS 65 (No Reserve) 119 $12,500.00 |
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1908 Indian Gold $5 Half Eagle, PCGS Genuine (BU) $12,500.00 |
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DIAMOND BRACELET VICTORIAN STYLE INDIAN JAIPUR GOLD $12,325.00 |
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Very PQ 1908 $5 INDIAN PCGS MS65 five dollar Half Eagle Philadelphia gold coin $11,499.00 |
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1907 Indian Head $10 Gold Eagle Coin NGC and CAC Certified MS65 $10,900.00 |
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1911-D $2.50 Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagle NGC MS62 Key Date $10,499.95 |
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1914-D Gold $2.5 Indian Quarter Eagle, PCGS MS-64 (Gem) $9,995.00 |
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1914 $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS64 PCGS $9,850.00 |
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1913-S Indian Gold Half Eagle – ICG MS63 – RARE BU Uncirculated Coin! $9,635.00 |
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1907 $10 Indian Head Gold Eagle No Motto PCGS MS65 MS 65 United States Coin $9,600.00 |
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Antique Indian Earrings Gold Diamonds Basra Pearls Emeralds c1800 (4908) $9,500.00 |
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1874 $3 GOLD INDIAN MS64+ NGC $9,250.00 |
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1911-D $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS62 ICG $9,250.00 |
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1874 $3 GOLD INDIAN MS64 PCGS $9,250.00 |
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1878 $3 GOLD INDIAN MS64 NGC $9,200.00 |
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U S MINT COMPLETE SET INDIAN HEAD GOLD QUARTER EAGLE COINS $9,000.00 |
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1911-D $10 GOLD INDIAN MS61 ICG $8,950.00 |
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1911-D ICG MS61 $5 Indian Gold * Nice Original Skin* Free Shipping* GREAT PRICE! $8,950.00 |
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1913 $10 GOLD INDIAN MS65 NGC $8,750.00 |
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1911 $10.00 INDIAN U.S. GOLD NGC CERTIFIED MS-65 VERY RARE THIS QUALITY $8,750.00 |
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1907 $10 GOLD INDIAN MS65 NGC $8,750.00 |
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22CT/916 SOLID GOLD NECKLACE SET(GANNI SET) INDIAN $8,512.07 |
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1913-S $5 GOLD INDIAN MS63 ANACS $8,500.00 |
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1907 No Periods ICG MS65 Indian $10 Gold * Gleaming Luster * Superior Coin * $8,500.00 |
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SILVER 18K GOLD MODERN INDIAN 9.0CTS DIAMOND RUBY EMERALD SET NECKLACE EARRINGS $8,500.00 |
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Diamond Bangle 14K Gold Silver Indian Ethnic Style Bracelet Wedding Jewelry $8,471.00 |
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1881 $3 GOLD INDIAN AU53 NGC $8,250.00 |
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1915 $2 1/2 Dollar Indian US Gold Coin, PCGS MS-65 $7,995.00 |
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1855-C $ GOLD INDIAN AU50 NGC $7,950.00 |
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1910-D $10 GOLD INDIAN MS65 NGC $7,750.00 |
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1878 $3 GOLD INDIAN MS64 PCGS $7,750.00 |
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1855 $ GOLD INDIAN MS63 NGC $7,700.00 |
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1879 $3 Dollar Gold Indian Princess Head Headdress PCGS MS63 $7,599.95 |
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Indian DIAMOND, SAPPHIRE, PEARL & GOLD BANGLE BRACELET $7,500.00 |
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1911-D $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS60 NGC $7,500.00 |
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1875 $ GOLD INDIAN AU55 PCGS $7,250.00 |
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1909 $5 INDIAN HEAD half eagle Gold Coin and 1894 $10 Eagle Gold coin PLUS BONUS $6,999.00 |
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1912-S $5 GOLD INDIAN MS62 PCGS ~ CAC $6,950.00 |
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1870 GOLD $3 INDIAN PRINCESS MS 61 NGC LOOKS PL PQ RARE $6,875.78 |
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NATURAL PAVE DIAMOND INDIAN ETHNIC STYLE RING 22K SOLID YELLOW GOLD JEWELRY $6,655.00 |
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STUNNING Indian 18k Gold, Diamond & Ruby Earrings $6,500.00 |
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1911-D $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN AU58 NGC $6,350.00 |
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1911 $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS65 PCGS $6,350.00 |
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1912-S $5 GOLD INDIAN MS62 PCGS $6,250.00 |
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1911 $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS65 NGC $5,950.00 |
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1913 $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN MS65 PCGS $5,950.00 |
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1882 Indian Princess $3 Gold PCGS MS 62 RARE $5,950.00 |
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1911-D $10 GOLD INDIAN AU58 NGC $5,850.00 |
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NEW DIAMOND 18K CRYSTAL GOLD SILVER INDIAN LOOK CHOKER NECKLACE JEWELRY $5,840.00 |
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1911-D $2 1/2 GOLD INDIAN AU58 NGC $5,800.00 |
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1914 Indian Head GOLD $2.50 Quarter Eagle CAC PCGS MS63 $5,750.00 |
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*** 1854, $ 3 “INDIAN PRINCESS – HEAD”, GOLD *** $5,695.95 |
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1911 D $2.5 Indian Head Gold, NGC Au55 “SUPER” Strong D, CHECK PICTURES $5,600.00 |
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1913 indian $5 dollar gold piece in a true diiomond pendent with a 14k chain $5,500.00 |
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1883 $ GOLD INDIAN MS67+ NGC $5,500.00 |
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1877 $3 GOLD INDIAN XF40 NGC $5,500.00 |
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1878 $3 Gold Indian Princess Head MS63 PCGS $5,495.00 |
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1911-D $2 1/2 INDIAN HEAD QUARTER GOLD STRONG D UNC MS SLABBED NGC LOOK $5,444.44 |
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