Meet the designer & maker, Leti
Hi and thank you for visiting my website.
My name is Leti and I am a self-taught artist who finds inspiration in the Seasons of Colorado and my personal travels. I am an Uruguayan-born, Colorado-based jewelry designer and maker.
Since young I've been drawn to art. My father introduced me to oil-painting & photography, and my mother taught me how to knit, embroider, and crochet. I attended Architecture School where I learnt design and construction. In 1998 I moved to the USA following my sweetheart and I graduated as a drafter. After a couple of years working in a boutique I decided to take pottery and photography classes and somewhere along the way I started making jewelry for fun. Friends and co-workers were asking to buy my designs and I found myself working until late creating pieces that sold faster than I could make them. So I launched "Dolce de Leti" in 2004 and soon after, I quit my job to work full time on my own company.
I work from my home studio in Colorado Springs surrounded by two demanding super cute cats and my amazing and supportive hubby.
I love to travel, biking and hiking, kayaking, and sightseeing. I find meditative oil painting, photography, working with clay, sewing, and gardening. Love meeting new artists, getting to know my customers at shows and learning new things one day at a time.
My name is Leti and I am a self-taught artist who finds inspiration in the Seasons of Colorado and my personal travels. I am an Uruguayan-born, Colorado-based jewelry designer and maker.
Since young I've been drawn to art. My father introduced me to oil-painting & photography, and my mother taught me how to knit, embroider, and crochet. I attended Architecture School where I learnt design and construction. In 1998 I moved to the USA following my sweetheart and I graduated as a drafter. After a couple of years working in a boutique I decided to take pottery and photography classes and somewhere along the way I started making jewelry for fun. Friends and co-workers were asking to buy my designs and I found myself working until late creating pieces that sold faster than I could make them. So I launched "Dolce de Leti" in 2004 and soon after, I quit my job to work full time on my own company.
I work from my home studio in Colorado Springs surrounded by two demanding super cute cats and my amazing and supportive hubby.
I love to travel, biking and hiking, kayaking, and sightseeing. I find meditative oil painting, photography, working with clay, sewing, and gardening. Love meeting new artists, getting to know my customers at shows and learning new things one day at a time.
About the line
Since 2004 "Dolce de Leti" has evolved into a more delicate and feminine jewelry collection handmade with care and close attention to detail. All the line is meticulously made by my two happy hands in my Colorado Springs studio with high quality metals and semi precious stones that are personally selected and sourced. I love to create and design meaningful, well made items of embellishment with the genuine desire to make my customers feel happy, beautiful and confident.
The name "Dolce de Leti" is derived from the association to "dulce de leche" which is a caramel milk-based jam very popular in the River Plate region where I'm from. "Dolce" means "sweet" in Italian and "de Leti" means "from Leti" in Spanish. In other words, my jewelry pieces are my sweet creations made for you!
The name "Dolce de Leti" is derived from the association to "dulce de leche" which is a caramel milk-based jam very popular in the River Plate region where I'm from. "Dolce" means "sweet" in Italian and "de Leti" means "from Leti" in Spanish. In other words, my jewelry pieces are my sweet creations made for you!
Process – 100% handmade – slowly made – high quality materials
Through a lot of practice, mistakes and explorations, I've developed my own personal methodical process to bring every single piece alive.
Most of my line focus on wire-wrapping gemstones with Sterling silver, 14kt gold fill, copper and brass wire and all the steps from start to finish that this tiny, detailed, and slow-meditative work entails.
In recent years I've added many skills to my repertoire, among them crochet , macramé, silk knotting and silversmithing, bringing a more natural and organic feel to the line.
I love to incorporate meaning and intention to my pieces, so I am always in search of unique, vintage, Old World coins, amulets and pendants that resonate with my aesthetics.
I work with semi-precious stones mined from all over the world and fresh water pearls from the Pacific ocean. In some cases designs call for sparkly Swarovski crystals, African trade beads, Karen hill tribe silver beads or Japanese glass beads. I love that each bead has its own personality, hues and textures, adding character and individuality to my artwork.
Most of my line focus on wire-wrapping gemstones with Sterling silver, 14kt gold fill, copper and brass wire and all the steps from start to finish that this tiny, detailed, and slow-meditative work entails.
In recent years I've added many skills to my repertoire, among them crochet , macramé, silk knotting and silversmithing, bringing a more natural and organic feel to the line.
I love to incorporate meaning and intention to my pieces, so I am always in search of unique, vintage, Old World coins, amulets and pendants that resonate with my aesthetics.
I work with semi-precious stones mined from all over the world and fresh water pearls from the Pacific ocean. In some cases designs call for sparkly Swarovski crystals, African trade beads, Karen hill tribe silver beads or Japanese glass beads. I love that each bead has its own personality, hues and textures, adding character and individuality to my artwork.
Inspiration
My inspiration comes from the endless beauty of nature, my world travels, and the changing seasons of Colorado. Every day there is something new to explore and a fresh way to bring to life new designs. It is gratifying and a personal fulfillment to have my designs become reality and customers can cherish and own my labor of love.