Federico Jimenez was born in born in Oaxaca, Mexico in 1941 in a Mixtec Indian Community.

He received a bachelor’s degree in science and art at the University of Benito Juarez in Oaxaca, Mexico before coming to the US to in 1967 to study jewelry design. During a trip to the Southwest, Federico and his wife Ellen Belber Jimenez fell in love with Native American culture and began collecting Native folk art. Federico and Ellen eventually opened a gallery in Santa Monica where they specialied in antiques, collectibles and folk art from Latin America and the southwestern US. 

In 2008 Federico and Ellen donated their Mexican collection and a building for housing it to the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is called "Museo Belber - Jimenez."

Today, Federico lives in Venice, CA where he produces stunning jewelry like this pearl and silver necklace. You can view more of Federico's work on his website.