Firefly’s office and design studio is located in Oakland, California. The company was founded by Edward Rudnicki, who co-designs the jewelry alongside Juan Carlos Chavajay. Salvador Chavajay serves as our Operations Manager, while his brother Eduardo Chavajay manages our workshop in Guatemala.
Throughout the year, we continuously develop new jewelry designs while refining and refreshing our collections for our sales representatives. Our work is inspired by the beauty of nature, gardens, and the vibrant colors and traditions of Guatemala. We create intricately embellished artisan jewelry known for innovative color combinations, meticulous craftsmanship, and the use of Austrian crystals. Our designs are elegant, whimsical, and distinctive, reflecting a deep appreciation for harmony, beauty, and fine detail.
All Firefly jewelry is handmade by skilled artisans in Guatemala. Our workshop provides training, stable employment, fair wages, and comfortable working conditions for the indigenous community of Santiago Atitlán. Traditional embroidery and weaving skills have been transformed into jewelry-making techniques unique to Firefly. The workshop itself is spacious and filled with natural light, with each artisan having their own workspace. It surrounds a courtyard filled with plants and flowers, where our workshop dog Bobby greets workers throughout the day.
As part of Firefly’s long-term future, Ed is currently facilitating the transition of the business to the next generation. Salvador and Juan Carlos are gradually assuming increased leadership and ownership responsibilities within the company. We all have a strong work ethic, which is one of the reasons that our business has been successful over such a long time.
The French ear wires are either made of sterling silver or gold fill. Posts are made of surgical steel. The lever back earrings are on high quality Euro wires, which are either antiqued brass or silver-plated antiqued brass. Bracelets are 7" long. Necklaces are 16" (18’ w/extension) unless otherwise noted. The cross pendant necklaces are 17” (19” w/extension). We have updated our necklace chains, in 2020 we switched to durable electroplated Imitation Rhodium brass chain. The intricately embellished mosaics are inset with a combination of European glass beads, brass and German silver wire. The findings used in the jewelry are brass that has been silver plated and then antiqued.
Variations in European Crystals
There are slight natural variations in the colors of the European crystals that we use, especially in the Dolce Vita line. We are unable to control the variations of color in the stones; we do not guarantee that all the crystal stones will be an exact match.