Poutilina, Swetlana

Poutilina, Swetlana

Sveta was born in Leningrad, but from a young age, she moved to Spain. A key point in her biography is that she had a stable job in an office, which was very stressful for her. At that time, her partner gave her a jewelry-making course as a gift, which she loved and enjoyed from the very first day. After a year of classes, Sveta began to think about dedicating herself to jewelry professionally. At the same time, she started a jet jewelry course (azabachería) with María Pérez. While she was taking the course, she was laid off from her paid job. This led her to make a definitive decision: to fully dedicate herself to the art of jet jewelry. With the money she received from the layoff, she started buying the tools for her workshop, initially opting for second-hand ones because professional tools are quite expensive. She has now been working in this craft for two years. In addition, she also works as a shop assistant in the store owned by María Pérez in the town of Villaviciosa, where she also handles some of the repair requests that come into the shop.

artisans,asturiasmap

1982

iain

Spanish

Artisan

578

current,43.368135,-5.587614;

Scotland

Poutilina, Swetlana

https://negroazabache.es/category/general/

TEXT

Sveta was born in Leningrad, but from a young age, she moved to Spain. A key point in her biography is that she had a stable job in an office, which was very stressful for her. At that time, her partner gave her a jewelry-making course as a gift, which she loved and enjoyed from the very first day. After a year of classes, Sveta began to think about dedicating herself to jewelry professionally. At the same time, she started a jet jewelry course (azabachería) with María Pérez. While she was taking the course, she was laid off from her paid job. This led her to make a definitive decision: to fully dedicate herself to the art of jet jewelry. With the money she received from the layoff, she started buying the tools for her workshop, initially opting for second-hand ones because professional tools are quite expensive. She has now been working in this craft for two years. In addition, she also works as a shop assistant in the store owned by María Pérez in the town of Villaviciosa, where she also handles some of the repair requests that come into the shop.

LAPONTE_PR_04

1197

info@negroazabache.es

instagram,https://www.instagram.com/negroazabache.joyas/;

608 00 78 42

metalwork

In a jewelry-making course and in another course on jet carving taught by the artisan María Pérez.

She has also taken a few short one-day courses.

Carmen Pérez Maestro

female

incomer

It is essential to recognize that the raw material used is authentic Jurassic jet, to understand its unique characteristics, and to be well-versed in the carving techniques required for working with it. Additionally, it is crucial to be familiar with the techniques employed in jewelry craftsmanship.

Sterling silver, Jurassic jet from Villaviciosa, and some semi-precious stones.

full-time paid job

She buys the silver from a national distributor, though she does not know which mine it comes from. The jet is local, collected from spoil heaps and purchased from the son of an artisan who no longer works with jet. The semi-precious stones are of unknown origin, and she is currently searching for companies that practice ethical sourcing of these stones.

It does not generate any waste.

She applies jewelry techniques to work the silver (incluida la fundición) and the with jet. Cutting, carving, and polishing are the processes followed to work the stone.

90% of her tools are second-hand. For jewelry making, she uses manual tools (such as a jeweler’s saw, hammers, and a hand file). For working with jet, she uses dental prosthetic tools that operate with a micromotor, such as diamond discs and tungsten carbide burs. She also uses an electric polishing machine.

One of her favorite tools is a small file, the first tool she bought when she was still a jewelry student. She believes that it allows her to finish her pieces much better.

Electricity

The dust produced when carving the jet is collected and mixed with glue to repair pieces, helping the repairs blend in with a black color.

Her workspace is located in her own home, furnished with second-hand furniture as well as pieces she made herself. It’s a small room (about 20 square meters) with a large window.

She creates personal adornment pieces such as earrings, pendants, and rings. One of her distinctive features is making jewelry that uses jet almost in its raw form. Currently, most of her work consists of custom orders or the restoration of pieces brought in by clients.

For sale

At markets and in the artisan María Pérez’s shop.

Most of her products are custom orders from individuals and repairs.

yes

The custom orders come from local people, while the pieces sold at markets and in the shop are mostly purchased by tourists.

No

People from other places also buy her pieces. On one occasion, she coordinated with a tour guide to showcase the craft of jet jewelry.

“When I’m at coastal markets, basically the summer ones, I sell much more to tourists than to local people, unfortunately, because visitors from outside have a much higher purchasing power than the locals, and that’s very sad…”

She is the president of the "Association for the Defense of Jurassic Jet."

The generational handover is a challenge, as there is no raw material available because the mines are closed and reopening them is not permitted. Raising awareness about the properties of Jurassic jet compared to other materials like lignite is important. Documenting the work processes is also essential, as well as promoting the ancestral history of this craft.

“Jet has thousands of years of history. The oldest piece we have in the archaeological museum is dated between 17,000 and 19,000 years old, and it will disappear with us—the only artisans of this generation—because we cannot reopen the mines.”

https://www.lne.es/villaviciosa/2025/04/13/svetlana-poutilina-prueba-distinga-azabache-116214877.html