About Us
Born in Lima, Peru, Esmeralda was always destined to share the beauty of nature with the world. Despite her unique mixed background, Esmeralda has always been more in tune with Peruvian culture. She grew up with a family that worked incredibly hard to grow from the bottom up, and at a young age, Esmeralda showed a fascination with nature. It was this fascination that led her to begin working with a variety of exotic wood species. As Esmeralda began to take notice of the unique qualities of each type of wood, her family helped hone her skills by providing anything they could to assist her on her journey.
Lively and high-spirited in nature, Esmeralda always showed a deep appreciation for nature. She traveled through the rain forests of Central and South America, and worked with many artisans of considerable talent, carving traditional art forms from a variety of exotic woods. She became an expert and consultant to many because of her incredible skills in hand crafting grips and checkering techniques. These days, Esmeralda travels from the US to Central and South America where she spends most of her time carefully selecting the finest exotic woods available.
Cocobolo is Esmeralda's favorite wood to work with. Beyond it's incredible beauty, Cocobolo is an extremely strong and durable exotic wood species that is twice the density of walnut. Being so dense, it is extremely difficult to properly dry out the moisture content, and most Cocobolo received from lumber suppliers has a tendency to be inadequately dried which can cause shrinking and warping. For this reason, Esmeralda personally selects the most exclusive Cocobolo and puts it through a stringent process to prepare it for crafting.
Personal favorites of Esmeralda have been the Amboyna Burl and the Black & White Ebony because of their allure and exclusivity. These types of grips are exceedingly rare, but Esmeralda tries to secure them whenever possible in order to share their beauty with everyone. Each piece of work is a testament to her expert craftsmanship, and owning a pair of Exotic Grips by Esmeralda™, is like carrying her heart and soul; her legacy.