Riches of the Southwest
 
 

 
 

Originally, jewelry was a symbol of wealth to the Navajo, used to trade for food and necessities during winter or in time of need. Since Mexican smiths (plateros) introduced Navajos to silver jewelry around 1850, Navajos have adopted and adapted the craft of making jewelry, first hammering coins with home-made tools, then pouring molten metal into carved stone molds, later adding set stones. A detailed history of Navajo jewelry-making can be found in Navajo Jewelry - A Legacy of Silver and Stone by Lois Essary Jacka.


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Storyteller Bracelet by Richard Begay

$400.00

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Richard Begay created this magnificent storyteller bracelet, featuring the day to day actvities of Navajo life. The images are depicted in finely detailed overlay-- for which Richard Begay is known-- accented by precise turquoise, coral and jet inlay.