Every civilization began with a symbol
Jewelry that carries the meaning of who we are, and where we come from
Heritage
Some artists choose their craft. Others are chosen by it.
Omar Hurtado belongs to the second kind. His path did not begin in a workshop or an academy. It began in dreams, in that threshold between sleep and waking where, in the traditions of many Indigenous cultures, the ancestors speak to the living. There, the knowledge came to him: techniques, designs, surfacing from a memory beyond time.
For more than twenty years, Omar has worked as a channel between that ancestral past and the present, creating pieces for the Gold Museum of Colombia, the Met in New York, and the Prado in Madrid. Through his hands, he brings pre-Columbian culture back to life.
Alchemy
Lost-wax. Fire. Patience.
Every HUMA piece is born the way it was a thousand years ago, through cera perdida, lost-wax casting, the technique the pre-columbian goldsmiths perfected long before it had a name.
It begins in wax. The form is shaped by hand, slowly, with no shortcut and no machine. Then it is sealed in clay and given to the fire. The wax burns away completely. It must disappear entirely, and into the empty space left behind, molten metal is poured. What was temporary dies so that what is permanent can take its place.
Nothing about this method has changed in a millennium. And by choice, neither have we changed it.
Made to be kept.
Made to be passed on.
A language cast in gold, handed from one generation to the next.
Collabs
Johanna Ortiz
2025 Collection. This unique collaboration unites the visionary fashion designer Johanna Ortiz and HUMA. Bridging heritage and contemporary luxury, the partnership breathes new life into Colombia’s pre-Columbian legacy. By integrating ancient metalworking techniques into high-fashion storytelling.
Museo del Prado
Centered on a historic dialogue of craftsmanship, the collaboration between HUMA and Museo del Prado brings Spain’s legendary royal collection, "El Tesoro del Delfín" (The Dauphin's Treasure), into the contemporary world. Utilizing ancient pre-columbian techniques, sustainable silver, and 24-karat gold plating.
Reimagined Renaissance and Baroque iconography, such as mythical double-tailed mermaids and imperial eagles, into exquisite wearable art. The collection forms a unique cultural bridge, merging European artistic heritage with ancestral Latin American metalworking.