The history of silver...

One of the main reasons that Peru was such an important colony for the Spanish Crown was its incredible wealth. From the middle of the 16th century and all through the initial gold fever displayed by the "conquistadores" who looted the Andean temples and palaces, the discovery of rich silver deposits in Alto Peru (now Bolivia) and of mercury deposits in Huancavelica, used in the exploitation of silver, became the basis for the Peruvian virreinato's grandeur during the 16th and 17th centuries and for the domination of the capital of Lima over the other South American cities.

The history of silver in colonial Peru is anyhing but a happy one. Recruited by force and under the pretense of paying off taxes to the Spanish Crown in labor instead of in money, thousands of natives were forced to work in subhuman conditions in the mines. This resulted in a high mortality rate in the Central Andes and in the destruction of the rural economies, whose stronger citizens were sent to work in the mines with few people left in the villages to plant and tend to agriculture. However, life was very different for the Criollos (Peruvians of Spanish descent) and Spaniards. This precious metal passed through so many hands and intermediaries that the silver that finally arrived in Spain was much less than what came out of the mines.

It crossed the Andes on the backs of llamas and other animals which transported it towards the Pacific Ocean to the town of Arica, where it was loaded onto ships and sent to the port city of Lima, Callao, where it was weighed in customs and the corresponding taxes paid. Its long journey then continued on to Panama, where it was again transported across the isthmus on the back of beasts to the Caribbean for final loading onto the ships destined for Seville.

The opulence of Lima's elite and the abundance of the mineral led to the development of a sophisticated silversmith industry, which produced jewelry, utensils for the home and decorative objects for both Lima's homes and churches. In the 18th century, the Spanish Crown opened up international commerce to other South American ports and the silver route changed to Buenos Aires, which became the center for the new virreinato.

The Peruvian virreinato was fragmented into different circunscripciones which led to the decadence of Lima's ruling classes. Silver objects in the old capital increased in value and thanks to the scarcity of the mineral, forced the artisans to improve the quality of their products. This tradition has remained intact even after the War of Independence and continues today.

Today's modern Peruvian artisans continue to work the silver as if it were an old friend. They continue to fabricate jewelry for the elite, but also produce artwork for the average consumer with the same quality and artistry used by their colonial predeccesors.