This collection is inspired by the ancient Muisca ritual at Lake Guatavita in Colombia, where a new chieftain was covered in gold dust and offerings of gold and jewels were cast into the water to honor the gods. The Spaniards called him El Dorado—“the gilded one.” More than a myth of hidden treasure, El Dorado reflects the deep cultural symbolism of gold: power, transformation, and sacred connection. Each piece reinterprets this heritage through contemporary design, celebrating gold not as co...
STORY OF THE DORADO
The origins of El Dorado lie deep in South America. And like all enduring legends, the tale of El Dorado contains some scraps of truth. When Spanish explorers reached South America in the early 16th century, they heard stories about a tribe of natives high in the Andes mountains in what is now Colombia. When a new chieftain rose to power, his rule began with a ceremony at Lake Guatavita. Accounts of the ceremony vary, but they consistently say the new ruler was covered with gold dust, and tha...
