The sun always rises before anyone is awake to thank it.
It doesn’t ask whether yesterday was joyful or heartbreaking.
It simply returns.
That’s the quiet promise hidden inside this pendant.
At first glance, you see La Catrina—the elegant guardian who reminds us that every life eventually becomes a story. But look again.
She isn’t mourning.
She isn’t dancing.
She’s carrying tomorrow.
Surrounding her is a garden of hand-selected Royston turquoise, chosen one stone at a time until it felt like a living landscape. Between them burn flashes of natural citrine, each one catching the light like the first rays of sunrise spilling across the Nevada desert.
Those golden stones change everything.
Without them, this would be a beautiful pendant.
With them, it becomes dawn.
When I finished curating the stones, I handed them to Jesus Vega without telling him exactly what I wanted. That’s one of the joys of collaborating with someone whose artistic instincts you trust.
What came back was better than anything I could have drawn.
The blossoms became wildflowers.
The Royston became the earth.
The citrine became sunlight.
And La Catrina became the quiet caretaker making sure morning always finds its way back.
Artifact Registry
Maker: Jesus Vega for Hespera Jewelry Co.
Collection: Hespera × Jesus Vega
Artifact Type: Figurative Floral Pendant
Materials: Sterling Silver, Hand-Selected Natural Royston Turquoise, Natural Precious Citrine
Stone Curation: Eric Ruyak
Silverwork: Entirely hand fabricated by Jesus Vega
Center Figure: Hand-fabricated La Catrina
Weight: (Add weight)
Construction: Hand-fabricated sterling silver pendant featuring individually bezel-set Royston turquoise and natural citrine, sculpted sterling blossoms, hand-twisted bezels, oxidized finish, articulated floral vessel charm, and oversized concealed bail.
Origin of Turquoise: Royston Mining District, Nevada, USA
Era: Contemporary
Collector’s Gallery Value: $1,795
An estimated gallery valuation for an equivalent work presented through a premier Southwestern art jeweler. This valuation reflects the originality of the composition, the rarity of combining hand-selected Royston turquoise with natural precious citrine, the extensive hand fabrication, and the artistic significance of the Hespera × Jesus Vega collaboration.
Field Observation:
A deeply symbolic composition where contrasting gemstones become part of the narrative itself. The cool blue-green palette of Royston turquoise evokes the living desert, while natural citrine introduces warmth and illumination, creating a visual dialogue between earth and sunlight. The articulated vessel charm and sculpted La Catrina elevate the work beyond ornament into storytelling.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I’ve always loved jewelry that reveals itself in layers.
First you notice the turquoise.
Then the flashes of citrine.
Then La Catrina.
And finally… the little vessel she carries.
Every time I look at it, I imagine she’s walking through the desert before sunrise, watering flowers no one else knows are about to bloom.
Maybe that’s optimism.
Maybe that’s faith.
Either way… I hope I never stop making jewelry that believes tomorrow is worth preparing for.
The sun always rises before anyone is awake to thank it.
It doesn’t ask whether yesterday was joyful or heartbreaking.
It simply returns.
That’s the quiet promise hidden inside this pendant.
At first glance, you see La Catrina—the elegant guardian who reminds us that every life eventually becomes a story. But look again.
She isn’t mourning.
She isn’t dancing.
She’s carrying tomorrow.
Surrounding her is a garden of hand-selected Royston turquoise, chosen one stone at a time until it felt like a living landscape. Between them burn flashes of natural citrine, each one catching the light like the first rays of sunrise spilling across the Nevada desert.
Those golden stones change everything.
Without them, this would be a beautiful pendant.
With them, it becomes dawn.
When I finished curating the stones, I handed them to Jesus Vega without telling him exactly what I wanted. That’s one of the joys of collaborating with someone whose artistic instincts you trust.
What came back was better than anything I could have drawn.
The blossoms became wildflowers.
The Royston became the earth.
The citrine became sunlight.
And La Catrina became the quiet caretaker making sure morning always finds its way back.
Artifact Registry
Maker: Jesus Vega for Hespera Jewelry Co.
Collection: Hespera × Jesus Vega
Artifact Type: Figurative Floral Pendant
Materials: Sterling Silver, Hand-Selected Natural Royston Turquoise, Natural Precious Citrine
Stone Curation: Eric Ruyak
Silverwork: Entirely hand fabricated by Jesus Vega
Center Figure: Hand-fabricated La Catrina
Weight: (Add weight)
Construction: Hand-fabricated sterling silver pendant featuring individually bezel-set Royston turquoise and natural citrine, sculpted sterling blossoms, hand-twisted bezels, oxidized finish, articulated floral vessel charm, and oversized concealed bail.
Origin of Turquoise: Royston Mining District, Nevada, USA
Era: Contemporary
Collector’s Gallery Value: $1,795
An estimated gallery valuation for an equivalent work presented through a premier Southwestern art jeweler. This valuation reflects the originality of the composition, the rarity of combining hand-selected Royston turquoise with natural precious citrine, the extensive hand fabrication, and the artistic significance of the Hespera × Jesus Vega collaboration.
Field Observation:
A deeply symbolic composition where contrasting gemstones become part of the narrative itself. The cool blue-green palette of Royston turquoise evokes the living desert, while natural citrine introduces warmth and illumination, creating a visual dialogue between earth and sunlight. The articulated vessel charm and sculpted La Catrina elevate the work beyond ornament into storytelling.
Eric’s Notes from the Field
I’ve always loved jewelry that reveals itself in layers.
First you notice the turquoise.
Then the flashes of citrine.
Then La Catrina.
And finally… the little vessel she carries.
Every time I look at it, I imagine she’s walking through the desert before sunrise, watering flowers no one else knows are about to bloom.
Maybe that’s optimism.
Maybe that’s faith.
Either way… I hope I never stop making jewelry that believes tomorrow is worth preparing for.
