Meet Lida.

Some of you may know the story of how Lida and Emily met, some of you may not... either way it's a great story and it won't take long to tell.

Late one evening, while Emily was sketching new designs, the most astonishing woman - a true visionary, though she would never describe herself as such - walked into Emily's office and life.

Lida was emptying the waste into an oversized black trash bag and humming the most beautiful song that Emily had ever heard. "The ineffable emotion of her singing drifted through the air and curled itself around me like a palpable calmness." says Emily, whose memory still reawakens the feeling.

Although Emily doesn't recall every detail of their brief exchange that night, only that she learned her name was Lida, that she spoke no English - and that she offered her a job on the spot.

Emily hired Lida as her first employee, taught her everything she knew about jewelry making, and Lida is now one of the most skilled artisans she knows.

Today, 18 years later, Lida is now the President of Production... and still singing.

The story of how fortune brought them together speaks volumes about the company's values.  It also defines Emily's original dream for Armenta; bold against all odds, confident in recognizing unseen talent, and faithful in preserving the art of Old World craftsmanship.

Emily and Lida created the Armenta Atelier in hopes of giving women from disadvantaged circumstances a better chance in life.  Together they created a curriculum for the Life of Meaning Program, hiring women based on passion rather than skillset, teaching them old world techniques, allowing each to blossom into incredible artisans that we are proud to be working beside everyday.

Each piece of Armenta jewelry touches the hands of many artisans before it leaves our studio to be worn by you.  The hands which have created these pieces belong to women whose life journeys have been full of struggle and passion, putting heart and soul into every piece, showcasing the pain and beauty of life. 

Our jewelry is a bi-product of the magic taking place in the studio.

Today may be International Women's Day, however we feel lucky to celebrate that daily with these amazing women.

Much love from Texas,

The Armenta Team