“I love it because I feel like I’m giving back to my community back home in Peru by collaborating with them on these pieces,” said Fabiola Giguere, owner and founder of Achiq Designs in Chesire.
Each Peruvian stone has a different meaning and story behind it. Pink Opal is a soothing light pink and signifies love. The Indian Opal is named after the Andes Mountain and signifies prosperity. Chrysocolla is a deep green gem that signifies empowerment.
“Many women love to buy Chrysocolla because they want to feel empowered,” said Giguere.
Giguere came to the United States from Lima, Peru, 31 years ago at age 21 with a lot of ambition to achieve her full potential in the United States of America.
In December 2016, she opened Achiq Designs, where she incorporates her culture from Peru into her jewelry, often using Peruvian silver. Achiq means “bright” in Quechua, which is the Incan language.
Learn more about Giguere’s story on the Latino Communities Reporting Lab’s story by Crystal Elescano: https://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Cheshire-Citizen/Cheshire-News/Peruvian-Jewelry-store-is-a-hidden-gem-in-Cheshire.html
Cover Photo: Fabiola Giguere, seen here on July 26, owns Achiq Designs Inc. at 1081 S. Main St. in Cheshire. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
CTLN partners with the Latino Communities Reporting Lab in best serving the Hispanic-Latino communities of Connecticut.
