Production at the workshop Hernan Asmal was increased in the season grades of graduates. The manufactured about 20 rings between June and July. This year the goldsmith from Cuenca made only two.
According says is a reflection of the crisis in the sector, which has worsened since last February with the conflict mining and merchandise entering the country on an informal basis.
For Asmal, who is president of the Association of Jewelers of Azuay, the situation was exacerbated with the mandate miner and the suspension of gold mining in San Gerardo in the canton of Azuay Ponce Enriquez, a holding antitécnica.
For John Sanmartín, owner of a shop in downtown Beijing, for these causes disappeared 20 vendors who came up workshops Basin and the canton Chordeleg. They sold at a lower cost that extracting the metal in Azuay and Morona Santiago.
Asmal added that suppliers allowed to save up some U.S. $ 0.40 per gram. "At 100 grams meant some U.S. $ 40 savings." That encouraged to compete in the market, he adds.
Another example: the saving of 0.40 per gram, develop a ring alone cost $ 113 now, however, costs $ 125, ie $ 12 more.
Leslie Pazmiño, propietaria de una joyería en el sector de El Paraíso, coincide con este argumento. Leslie Pazmiño, owner of a jewelry in the area of El Paraiso, coincides with this argument.
Y, además, relata que el trabajo disminuyó en los últimos meses. And also recounts that work declined in recent months. Antes sus compañeros, por ejemplo, trabajaban 2 500 gramos de oro en hacer filigranas (tejido que se realiza con oro), cada dos semanas, ahora lo hacen con 100 gramos en el mismo tiempo. Before his companions, for example, worked 2 500 grams of gold to make watermarks (fabric that is made with gold), every two weeks, they do now with 100 grams at the same time.
Según los joyeros cuencanos consultados, existen otros factores que afectan, como el alto costo del oro en el mercado internacional, la limitación económica de los clientes y el ingreso ilegal de mercadería, de Colombia y Panamá. According to the jewellers from Cuenca consulted, there are other factors affecting such as the high cost of gold on the international market, the financial limit of clients and the illegal entry of goods from Colombia and Panama.
Esto llevó a los joyeros a abandonar los talleres y buscar otros trabajos, como choferes de taxi y comerciantes. This led to the jewellers to leave the workshops and seek other jobs as taxi drivers and traders. Las estadísticas de la Asociación de Joyeros de Azuay lo confirman. Este gremio titulaba, hasta el 2007, a 40 maestros al año para que ejerzan su oficio y en lo que va del año solo se calificó a tres. Statistics from the association of Jewelers of Azuay confirm this. This guild titled, until 2007, 40 teachers a year to exercise their craft and so far this year only scored three. Además, este gremio estima que en el 2007 existían 400 talleres activos y ahora funcionan 150. In addition, this guild believes that in 2007 there were 400 workshops operating assets and now 150. Asmal dice que la situación llevó a despedir a los operarios. Asmal said that the situation led to lay off workers. Hasta diciembre pasado tenía tres obreros, pero los despidió por la disminución del trabajo. Until last December had three workers, but dismissed by the decline of work. Antes laminaba 3 000 gramos diarios de oro y actualmente no supera los 200. Before Lamine 3 000 grams of gold per day and currently does not exceed 200.
The Azuay Sanmartín, who is a jeweler for 30 years, believes that the possibility of a new trade is difficult and therefore restricted its work to repair jewelry and minor works.
However, this alternative is difficult to cover investment in machinery to compete with the big workshops in the region, because the income is lower. Its latest acquisition was an engine that earned $ 260 last January.
According to Asmal, one of the options artisans was bet on the elaboration of silver jewelry. While acknowledging that this market is still higher profits because it competes with articles produced in other materials.
Gold production
Two months ago, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum discontinued operation in about six mining concessions in San Gerardo (Azuay), for violating environmental protection standards.
At present the gold mining is carried out small-scale mining groups concentrated in sectors of Bella Rica (Azuay), Zaruma, Portovelo (Gold) and Nambija (Zamora Chinchipe).
According to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, in 2006 reported gold production in Azuay was 895 800 grams. The country's total was 5.1 million grams. In 2005 were 5.3 million.
Representatives of the mining sector estimate that occur in Azuay three tons of gold a year, but the leak of precious metal to other countries like Colombia and Peru difficult to quantify actual production.
