Jewelry

What a wonderful way to celebrate baby while adding an heirloom to the family!  Emerald green, black, red, orange, yellow, and white beads were woven by a Navajo artisan to create this lovely baby bracelet.

Size: 4.5" L with 1.25 - opening .5" W

What a wonderful way to celebrate baby while adding an heirloom to the family! Soft baby blue, black, red, gold, yellow, and white beads were woven together by a Navajo artisan to create this baby bracelet.

Size: Size: 4.5" L with 1.125 - opening .325" W

What a wonderful way to celebrate baby while adding an heirloom to the family!  Turquoise, black, red, orange, and white beads were woven together by a Navajo artisan to create this bracelet with an eagle feather on each side.  The band is flexible to easily go on baby's wrist.  Native American people use eagle feathers to send our prayers to the Creator.

Size: 4.5" L with 1.125 - opening .325" W

Shades of copper brown, shimmering white, red, orange, and yellow seed beads were woven together to create this Navajo handmade hair barrette.  The four cardinal directions remind us to be conscious of remaining in balance, especially in challenging situations.  The barrette on the back is metal.

Size: 3.75" L x 1.25" W - Barrette 2.5" L x .5" W 

Purple, black, red, orange, yellow and white seed beads are woven together on white leather to create this dazzling design.  The barrette on the back is metal.

Size: 3.5" L x 1" W - Barrette 2.5" L x .5" W

Black, red, orange, yellow, and white beads are woven together to create this starburst designed beadwork bangle.  Navajo handmade. We don't see beaded bangles very often so this is a find!

Size: 9" Diameter x .5" Wide

White, black, red, orange, yellow, and green beads are woven together to create this starburst designed beadwork bangle.  Navajo handmade. We don't see beaded bangles very often so this is a find!

Size: 9" Diameter x .5" Wide

Red, black, and shimmering white beads dangle to create these glamorous beaded earrings.  These were handmade by Mayan beadwork artisans in Guatemala.

Size: 5.25" L x 1.25" W

Natural polished Kingman turquoise nuggets and natural red coral are set in sterling silver in this Navajo handmade, vintage squash blossom necklace.  The naja is tufa cast - more about najas and the process of tufa cast jewelry below.  Each of the six blossoms have a red coral and turquoise are set in shadowboxes above the blossoms. Each of the set stones have leaves on one side and vines on the other.  The blossoms are strung on double strands of sterling silver beads and end with a silver hook and eye clasp.  This was part of a collection of older Native American jewelry and was possible made in the 1950s to 1970s.  There is no hallmark or name attributed to this necklace.  It has been cleaned and polished.

Size: 22.5" Long - Naja: 2.25" H x 2.5" W - Blossoms: 1.5" L x .75" W

Najas are a prominent symbol in Navajo jewelry and are always the center piece in squash blossom necklaces.  I was told they are a feminine symbol, and their crescent shape represents the arms of a matriarch and the generations of the past and future.  It symbolizes ease of movement, paths of least resistance for the family, even during challenging times.  There is a sense of open arms in the shape of the naja that is soothing.  Some najas have hands on each end.

Tufa Cast Jewelry: Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk which has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and, if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound together tightly and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again. 

What a wonderful keepsake this would be.  Handmade by the wonderful Navajo jeweler Elaine Tahe it is sterling silver twisted wire with no sharp or rough edges.  Want to see more baby bracelets?  It's easy, just search "baby bracelet" on our site.

Size: 3.5" with .75" opening

Keep your money organized in style with this Dancer Money Clip! It is set with tiny chips of turquoise and red coral in a sterling silver setting with stamp-work.  Handmade by Navajo jeweler Raymond.

Size: 2" H x 1" W

These Yummy Turquoise Earrings were made by Navajo jeweler Rita Largo.  For some reason they remind us of yummy candy!  Oval turquoise that are a bit darker than sky blue is set into a bezel surrounded by twisted wire and wider sterling silver.  The posts are repousse sterling silver stars.  Nice and light!

Size: 1" H x .5" W

Wear birds and bears to keep you happy!  Sixteen birds and and six bears for a total of twenty-two handmade Zuni fetishes by Verna Kushana.  She strung them between finely made pen shell heishi.  The fetishes are carved from shimmering mother of pearl, pink mussel shell, serpentine, jet, and jasper.  The strand ends with sterling silver bench beads, cones, and a hook and eye clasp.

Size: 25.5" Long - Largest fetish .25" H x .75" L

Mary Louise Tafoya from Kewa Pueblo in New Mexico made this striking necklace.  Turquoise, spiny oyster shell, jet, and shell are inlaid onto the black back.  It is strung on black onyx beads with a sterling silver hook and eye clasp. Mary Louise signs each of her necklaces with her name and her signature flower. 

Length: 18", Pendant: 2.675" H x 1.75" L x .25" W

Jewelers from Kewa Pueblo have been creating mosaic inlay jewelry for over a thousand years.  Some of the ancient Kewa jewelry can seem quite modern in their designs.  The stones, and/or shell, are cut into shapes which are then put together like a puzzle on a backing.  The backing can be shell, jet, or other materials like epoxy, records or sheets of plastic which was used during times when materials were hard to come by.  Prior to colonization and the use of metals in Native American jewelry making, the earrings were hung on handmade string.

This Rainbow of Stones Bracelet has many beautiful stones.  The stones include green and blue turquoise, lapis, spiny oyster shell, and coral.  The spring ring clasp is sterling as is the extender. A perfect way to bring brightness and beauty in your life.

Size: 7" L with 1" Extender

This Rainbow of Stones Bracelet has many beautiful stones.  The stones include green and blue turquoise, lapis, spiny oyster shell, and coral.  The spring ring clasp is sterling as is the extender. A perfect way to bring brightness and beauty in your life.

Size: 6.75" L with 1" Extender

Keep your medicines or small treasures in the beautifully crafted older sterling silver box by Navajo jeweler Jeffrey Castillo.  The top is stamped by hand all the way around with four directional stamp-work and a round turquoise in the center.  The hinge works perfectly. "Jeffrey Castillo" and "STERLING" stamped inside.

Size: .75" H x 2.25" L  x 1.75" W

This Navajo hand-stamped pendant was made by Vincent Platero who is well-known for his mastery of stamping sterling silver jewelry.  The bale is large enough for 10mm size beads or several strands of smaller beads.  It comes with the 20" long sterling silver beads which are not Native American made.

Pendant Size: 2.875" H x 1.125" W 

The Pilot Mountain turquoise in this sterling silver bracelet includes small bits of pyrite. It is a beautiful dark teal color that was impossible to capture in the photos.  Handmade by Navajo jeweler Shirley Henry, it has a large stone in the center with eight smaller stones around the outside.  The smaller stones have a repousse star in between each one.  On each side of the stones are hand-stamped leaves.  The cuff is tufa cast. Stamped "SH" and "STERLING" inside. More about the process of tufa cast jewelry making below.

Size: 5.25" Long with 1" Opening

Tufa Jewelry: Tufa is a volcanic stone which can be as dense as chalk which has an organic texture. The first thing a jeweler does is examine a piece of tufa for any tiny fractures.  If it looks good, the tufa is cut in half and, if there is a design, it is carved into the tufa.   There is a pour hole carved into the top and several narrow vents carved into each side.  The two pieces are then bound tightly together and molten silver or gold is poured through the hole at the top.  If there are any microscopic cracks, the tufa explodes when the metal is poured in and the process has to begin again. Most of the time only one piece of jewelry can be made from each piece of tufa.

These Navajo handmade denim lapis watch tips are so detailed!  Two denim lapis stones are in a natural setting of spirals and eagle feathers.  A sterling silver border is cut and stamped in an elongated feather pattern.  The watch doesn't work and probably needs a battery.  Price only includes watch tips, but watch will also be sent.

Size with watch: 3.75" - Size of each tip: 1.25" L x 1.125" W

If we live long enough and we are fortunate we understand that life is a spiral.  Intersecting paths that bring people and experiences around again with evolving understanding.  The owner of Gathering Tribes purchased these earrings in the late 1990s or early 2000s at the SWAIA Indian Market in Santa Fe.  She thinks they were made by a jeweler from Santo Domingo.  They are sterling silver with the background textured.

Size: 3" L x 2" W

This turquoise pendant set in sterling silver came from a collection that included vintage jewelry.  The silverwork is very clean and includes twisted silver around the sawtooth bezel.

Size: 1.875" includes bale x 1.675 W

This turquoise pendant set in sterling silver came from a collection that included vintage jewelry.  The silverwork is very clean and includes twisted silver around the sawtooth bezel.

Size: 1.875" includes bale x 1.675 W

This striking pendant was made by Navajo jeweler Jan Mariano set black onyx in a sterling silver setting.  Twisted silver wire and ten silver domes wrap around the bezel.  

Size: 2.125" H x1.125" W

Navajo jeweler Sharon McCarthy set  purple spiny oyster shell in a sterling silver setting.  The sterling silver chain is through a silver tube at the top.  The bezel has twisted silver wire around the stone with five silver balls as accents.

Size: 1.125" H x .75 W - Chain 18" Long

This lovely sterling silver, vintage Navajo ring is set with gleaming white mother of pearl which showed up slightly yellow in the photos.  The mother of pearl is in a shadowbox setting surrounded by twisted wire with a hand-stamped leaf on one side with a vine and shadowbox scallops on the other side.  We estimate it was made in the 1970s.

Size: 7 - Setting 1" H x .75" W

The turquoise in this ring is a dark teal/turquoise color and is absolutely gorgeous!  It was made by LaRose Ganadonegro of sterling silver.  It has a triple shank band with twisted wire around the bezel.  "L Ganado" and "Sterling" stamped on the back.

Size: 7.5 - Setting 1" H x .675" W

You will always have a friend with you when you wear this sterling silver Ghan Dancer Ring by Zuni/Isleta Pueblo jeweler Juanita Abeita Calabaza.  The background is jet and the dancer has a gold lip mother of pearl body with a pen shell face and headdress of red coral and turquoise. "JAC" and "Zuni" engraved on back.

Size: 5 - Setting .875" H x .75" W

These sterling silver eagle feather earrings have darker teal turquoise at the bottom.  The feathers are beautifully detailed and hang on sterling silver wires.  They were made by Navajo jeweler Louise Joe.

Size: 2.25" H x .5" W

This beautiful natural #8 turquoise bracelet was made by Navajo jeweler J. Nelson.  The #8 turquoise mine in Nevada is closed due to the shift from mining turquoise to gold.  The rarity of this stone makes it highly desirable.  The sterling silver setting includes twisted wire around the bezel with a border of precise cut outs with eight silver balls on each side.  The cuff is a quadruple shank with four arms attached to the stone setting.  "J Nelson" and "B.N. 925" are stamped on the inside.

Size: 5.5" with .75" opening - Stone setting: 1.375" H x 1.125" W

Shades of purple spiny oyster shell is set in a sterling silver shadowbox by Navajo jeweler Robert Martinez.  The shadowbox is oxidized which enhances the deep purple in the stone.

This ring by Navajo jeweler Danny Kenneth has turquoise that reminds us of the shifting blues in the Caribbean.  The stone is set in a shadowbox that is oxidized with twisted sterling silver wire all the way around.  A much thicker twisted silver wire winds all around the small wire.  The bank is triple shank which attaches to the setting.

This Vintage Zuni Needlepoint Ring is fit for a queen!  Nine natural Sleeping Beauty turquoise needlepoint stones each have a silver down on one end.  Above is twisted sterling silver wire with a love "crown" shape above.  Ca. 1980s.

Size: 5.5 - Setting: .675" H x .875" W

Navajo jeweler, Etta Belin, made this sterling silver ring and set midnight blue stones in it.  The vines and leaves make it very special!  Adjustable half a size up or down.