The two brothers, Adan Bernabe and Jose Audelino Pilicastro, work with their spouses Tania Nayeli Garcia Cosio and Miriam de los Angeles Hernandez Solis in the same workshop and produce stunning jade sculptures and jewelry. They are autodidact and learned by trial and error.

Adan was a pharmaceutical chemist and his brother Jose, a teacher, when they both started carving amber sculptures 20 years ago as a hobby. From sculpting amber, which is relatively soft they got interested in jade, the stone that was so valuable to the Maya.

The Mayas prized jade above all other stones and gold. It is an extremely hard stone to work and has fascinating colors, The tools that were used were very primitive: bamboo, sand and stones of jade. The work went very slowly, and it was not unusual for a large piece of work to be worked on for 2 or 3 generations, hence its value besides its color. When the Spanish came, they had no interest in jade and stone, and the work was forgotten for 400 years. 

The interest in working jade returned in Guatemala about 50 years ago and Guatemala now has competitions in jade sculptures and jewelry. Chiapas has cultural heritage ties to Guatemala, so it was a natural for the brothers to go from working with amber to working with jade.

Five years ago, the brothers made the decision to totally dedicate themselves at working with jade The hobby became their only source of income. The two brothers also taught their children to work with amber when they were young to have them work with jade later.

They produce stunning pieces, which are mostly sold in San Cristobal de las Casas and Guatemala.  They have participated in various competitions in China, Guatemala and Mexico.

Feria Maestros del Arte 2025

AWARDS

·      2019 Gold medal in Sizhou China

·       2013 Gold medal in Antigua Guatemala, category Jewelry Designs

·       2024 Grandes Maestros Casa de las Artesanías de Chiapas

The children were awarded the following awards

·      2024 1st place category 7 a 10-year-old

·      2024 3rd place category 7 a 10-year-old

·      2024 1st place category 15 a 17-year-old 

ARTIST INFORMATION

Av Presidente Cardenas 12,

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas
29220

cel 96 7107 3502  tel 96 7678 2726 

apilicastro@gmail.com

Facebook adanpilicastro Instagram   
adanpilicastro