Lunae, renewing without losing the legacy

Lunae was founded in 1988 from an idea that Laura Luna Gaibor discovered during her time in Mexico, where she traveled to specialize as a plastic surgeon. There, she encountered a different way of working with silver: larger pieces, striking designs and a variety she had not yet found in Ecuador.

What began as an opportunity identified far from home eventually became an Ecuadorian family business that has endured for nearly four decades. Today, Lunae has five stores, remains committed to artisanal craftsmanship and is entering a new stage with the involvement of the founder’s sons, Gerardo and David Gutiérrez. After the pandemic, Laura decided to focus entirely on jewelry. Gerardo, a physical engineer, and David, an economist, have joined the company from different professional backgrounds, facing the challenge of contributing new tools and knowledge without erasing the history that made the business possible.

An opportunity in silver

Laura remembers that during her childhood in Ecuador, 18-karat gold was the metal most commonly used. Silver was present in household objects such as cutlery and small vases, but it played a less prominent role in jewelry.

The contrast became clear when she arrived in Mexico and discovered a greater variety of chains, accessories and silver pieces. There, she observed a growing industry and realized that these types of products could find a place in Ecuador. The idea was not simply to import a trend, but to develop a concept that could evolve over time and incorporate local knowledge, designs and craftsmanship.

The second generation

Gerardo and David grew up watching the effort required to sustain a family business. Now they are joining the company from different professional fields, with the intention of bringing new perspectives. Their knowledge can contribute to the organization, analysis and modernization of the company, but both understand that taking on a family business involves much more than assuming an administrative position.

One of the greatest values in Lunae’s history lies in Laura’s example. She started the business at a time when women had fewer opportunities to lead companies and placed her trust in a material that had not yet received enough recognition in the country.

“The challenge is to bring in new ideas without losing the essence of the company.”

The new generation now faces the challenge of incorporating technology, improving processes and responding to changes in the market without breaking with the essence that has sustained the company for nearly four decades.

Hands from two countries

Lunae’s identity has also been built through the collaboration of knowledge and craftsmanship from different places. The experience of Mexican jewelry-making remains part of the brand, while over time the work of Ecuadorian artisans has also been incorporated.

This combination makes it possible to develop pieces based on what the company imagines and wants to offer its customers, while maintaining quality, presenting distinctive designs and guaranteeing the purity of the materials. The partnership between Mexican and Ecuadorian craftsmanship does not seek to erase the unique qualities of each tradition, but rather to bring together different experiences and techniques to create a distinctive proposal.

The value of craftsmanship

Lunae works with 925 silver and, in certain pieces, 990 silver. However, the quality of a piece of jewelry does not depend solely on the metal used. The artisan’s involvement gives each creation its own characteristics. Even when two pieces are based on the same design, they are never completely identical. Each retains subtle differences that reflect the work of the person who made it.

“A piece of jewelry is connected to emotions and special moments. Its meaning goes beyond the metal.”

For Laura, every piece of jewelry contains part of the artisan’s life, knowledge and emotion. That value continues when the piece reaches someone else: it may be a gift, a personal purchase or an object passed down from one generation to another, eventually becoming connected to memories, celebrations and important moments.

The women behind Lunae

Women have played a central role at Lunae since its founding. The company was started and led by Laura, and today nearly 90% of its team is made up of women, many of whom are heads of household.

For the company, this represents a responsibility because behind every employee is a family that depends on her income. That is why stability, compliance with working conditions and opportunities for growth are part of the company’s management approach.

Lunae is now entering a different stage: it will need to modernize its processes and adapt to new consumers without abandoning the artisanal craftsmanship, human connection and legacy that have accompanied the company since 1988.