makers
Cordova Jewelry Design:
A Family Affair
This father/son duo plan to expand
their studio to include a showroom,
shifting their focus from crafting for
trade and other stores to more retail,
and you will probably be able to find
their booth at a few upcoming First
Thursdays.
a v e r y • b a g l i o
Since 1972, Christopher Cordova has been making jewelry.
In 2010, this master jeweler has been working for himself at
Cordova Design in the Willamette Building in downtown
Portland.
Working alongside him now is his son, 22-year old Joseph
Cordova.
“Since I was little I’ve always made things, soldered things,
and sculpted things with wax; but the past few years I have
been working more seriously and apprenticing with my dad. I’ve
learned a lot from him,” says Joseph with obvious respect and
admiration. I met up with both father and son in their studio to
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find out more about their experience with jewelry making.
Q: How did you get started in jewelry making?
I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My parents got into
jewelry making briefly when I was twelve. That’s how I started
learning how to do it, working on silver and turquoise, which
was really popular back then. My mother and stepfather knew a
guy down the street who was a jewelry maker, and they learned
from him. They got some of the basic equipment, and they
eventually had a little jewelry store in old town.
When I was thirteen, I got my first job jewelry making. By
then I had made like twelve rings. I had a job at an amusement
park, which didn’t last very long. I took those twelve rings to old
town and I sold all the rings that I had and got like $100. Back
then, that was pretty good. So, I quit my job at the amusement
park and decided to just continue making jewelry.
My friend’s father had a jewelry shop. That summer, I got a
job polishing jewelry in that shop. In high school, they had a
program where you could leave early and go to work, and they
would give you credit for it. So, that’s what I did. I would have
half a day of classes, then go to work. From then on, that’s the
only job I’ve ever had.