Lessons in silver

Jul. 12—Las Cruces-native Kayla Ortiz was working as a kayak guide in Alaska when the pandemic hit and caused a standstill in the tourism industry. Ortiz, who also has a background in biochemistry, returned to the Land of Enchantment and decided to pursue an artistic path in the Taos and Santa Fe region.

Ortiz has always had an affinity for all things vintage as well as silver jewelry and desert stones, so naturally silversmithing was a craft that caught her eye.

"I was trying to incorporate all of these things that I was interested in but never had the time to really fulfill and when COVID hit, I just had nothing but time," Ortiz says. "So I watched one YouTube video and bought this book called The Complete Metalsmith."

Through trial and error, Ortiz taught herself how to silversmith and spread the word to family and friends. Before she knew it, she received 30 orders in two weeks, marking the beginning of her business, Mineralbound Silver.

The business has since evolved, shifting from a focus on production to sharing the art and experience of silversmithing with others. The shift was prompted by burnout during the business' early days of constant demand and production.

"Paying attention to the craftsmanship, you can see the difference. Between just treating it as a hobby and pumping out pieces, which I felt like I was beginning to lose sight [of] for a little bit," Ortiz says.

details

Mineralbound Silver workshops

$165

575-635-7296; mineralboundsilver.com

Ortiz offers four-hour pop-up silversmithing workshops and private lessons. Workshops are held at locations around Santa Fe. The last workshop was at Meow Wolf, and the next will be at Santa Fe Brewing Co. at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. The last five workshops sold out (each has six spots available).

Ortiz will offer workshops at two additional locations — Muses Santa Fe and Mottainai Santa Fe — and recently hired an assistant for the workshops.

The typical workshop includes choosing a project — a ring, pendant, or keychain — selecting a stone, wrapping the stone in fine silver, soldering the piece onto a backplane, soldering on the structural elements (such as the band or bail), and polishing the final product.

Ortiz says many workshop attendees leave wanting to learn more and often book individual private lessons, but her current focus is on offering the experience to beginners.

"I've just found so much joy in finding beginners," Ortiz says, "just guiding them through the whole process ... and allowing them to find their own creativity in something that I really love."