click artist name to view image of work 

 

Andrea Lonjose Shirley

 

A distinctive feature of top tier Zuni jewelry is an exacting fit that often goes beyond what one expects of human hands. The casual observer might mistake Andrea Lonjose Shirley's jewelry art as a masterful examples of small Champlevé paintings. Champlevé is an enamel technique in which troughs are carved into the surface of a metal framework then filled with a vitreous enamel. The piece is then fired until the enamel melts then polished after cooling. On close-up inspection there is no mistaking her masterful creations for Champlevé no melding of paints or synthetics. Instead her work, often featuring Kachina figures, is an amazing almost perfecdt inlay of stones such as mother of pearl, acoma jet, coral, and sleeping beauty turquoise sterling on a base of sterling silver.

Bev Etsate

 

Beverly Etsate is a three dimensional raised inlay specialist. She like her famed mother Rosalie Pinto portrays Zuni subjects most often kachinas by inlaying them stone upon stone. On Acoma jet background set in sterling silver she skillfully sets cuttings of jet, coral, mother of pearl, turquoise, and other stons set to patterns revealing a number of types of kachinas. Bev's mudheads are the same as her Mother's, but much of her Mother's work is now vintage and as such commands much higher prices. Any serious Zuni collector should have at least one of their works.

Clayton Tom

 

The name Clayton Tom is well woven into the fabric of celebrated Native American artists of the new century. His brilliant jewelry has consistently earned him top awards at major jewelry art shows and led to his recognition as one of the great masters of micro-inlay design and technique. His name is always a contender as tops in his speciality, but most often seen now as a credit to his jewelry when displayed in books or periodicals that feature Native American Art. Frequently in short supply and hard to find, his jewelry is always in high demand as showcase inventory among Southwestern jewelry dealers. It is similarly prized among Native American jewelry collectors, and readily coveted by those who just see his masterful creations. Clayton's award winning work includes concho belts, necklaces, and ranger belt buckle sets, but his personal favorite and most beloved is the cosmic bear pendant which celebrates the Yei-bi-Chai, supernatural beings in the Navajo culture who are sometimes referred to as the "Medicine People", the "Holy People", or "Winter Gods". The "Winter Gods" reference arises from the Yei Bi 'Chai ceremony held in the late fall or early winter. In Navajo culture, they are believed to be the source of healing powers and blesser of the corn. Even though Clayton's jewel creations are hailed as the crème del crème of the micro-inlay world, the artist himself avoids the limelight and there is little published on the man himself.

Darell Jumbo

 

Darrell Jumbo was most fortunate to have received his initial silversmith training under Master Silversmith Norbert Pleshlaki. It was Norbert who gave him his artisan name, Elephant Man. His hallmark is an elephant symbol. Darrell is one of the most playful of the Navajo silversmiths. He is a tall, lean-faced man who sports a long pony tail who interacts with a distinctive humor and broad, friendly smile that make him both charming and unforgettable. He is known to dress playfully for the shows where he markets his work. At last year's Santa Fe Indian Market, he wore a tall top hat, sterling silver studded shorts, feather dangling beaded conchos on his shoulders, and silver laced boot moccasins. Mr. Jumbo's delightful silver creations are cartoonish characterizations. His art and countenance may appear fun and light hearted in appearance, but he takes his work very seriously. His pieces are all unique. He maintains a log with contact numbers of those who buy his pieces and he does not market commercially.

Harlan Coonsis
(1958- )

 

Harlan Coonsis is recognized worldwide as a Zuni master jewelry maker. In the early days when he collaborated with his first wife, Rolanda he did the silverwork; she did the stonework. He now collaborates with his present wife Monica. When working by himself and with Rolanda, Harlan signs his work H. R. COONSIS ZUNI. When working with Monica he uses H. M. COONSIS. His work commands high prices and includes the customary broad range of Native American jewelry offerings including pins, pendants, belt buckles, rings, concho belts, and bolo ties. He is especially well known for his inlaid birds. His elegant pieces are commonly inlaid with select pieces of mother of pearl, turquoise, Acoma jet, coral, and abalone. The birds come alive with his precision etching. Harlan's birds are widely distributed for sale throughout the Southwest. The birds above all have a stylistic similarity and each is identified by script etching on their back side. His bird choices are most commonly species native to Zuniland.

James McCabe 

.

James McCabe has followed in the steps of his Navajo forefathers who often worked only with silver derived from US and Mexican silver coins which was often their only source of sterling silver.    Mr. McCabe specializes in creating earrings, necklaces, and concho belts from old dimes, silver dollars, and other old coins.   His most popular product is a mercury dime necklace in which two mercury dimes are bent in to a convex shaped and them soldered together.  He intersperses these on a wire with turquoise beads inserted between each joined dime-pair.   His output is sporadic; in the past two years has become increasingly hard to find and there are no others on Navajo who do this type of vintage coin based work.

 

 

Lincoln and Helen Zunie
(Zuni)

 

Lincoln and Helen Zunie's work has been time tested for decades no Zuni collection can be considered complete without at least one piece of their work. Their hallmark "HL Zunie", stands for both Helen and Lincoln. Sadly, Lincoln carries on with the work alone now that Helen is deceased. Like Effie's Serpent jewelry creations, Helen and Lincoln's horse bolos, buckles, and pendant/pins will endure as timeless classics of Native American Jewelry art.

Nancy Edaakie

 

The August 1974 edition of ARIZONA HIGHWAYS featured an article representing a special collection of Indian jewelry called The Arizona Highways Hall of Fame Classics. Three masterworks of Dennis Edaakie were shown and he was hailed as a Grand Master of his medium. In 1975 in Vol I of ZUNI, The Art and The People, Ed and Barbara Bell wrote "Dennis and Nancy (Edaakie), without a doubt, two of the best known silversmiths in Zuni, are all the more remarkable because they have been practicing their art for the relatively short time of 10 years. Their beautiful inlay work may be seen in most of the finer collections of Indian jewelry. When found in the finer collections of Indian jewelry, it is usually marked 'Not for Sale.' " Sadly, Nancy Edaakie was not given even a footnote's worth of credit in the ARIZONA HIGHWAYS article. Dennis died in a neighbor's cornfield last year. For a while their collaborative work all but disappeared from the market. Anxious dealers finally persuaded Nancy to carry on. For a while she used their common hallmark with Dennis' name removed but often faintly visible. Today she has a new hallmark stamp and the fine work continues.

Robert Chee
(Navajo)

 

Robert Chee is a traditional silversmith whose family's deep roots extend back to the early years of Navajo jewelry production. He maintains a large collection of designs, stamps, dyes, and old silver working tools that keep his family's proud heritage alive. He shapes his own silver, individually creates the component pieces, and frequently cuts his own stones.

His career in silver work began as a child, when his aunt needed help. The aunt took Robert and his sister to her home where they both worked as young assistants. His first job was rolling the silver to prescribed thicknesses. By the time he was of high school age, he and his cousin, the late legendary Harry Morgan, were both skilled enough to support themselve swith their silverwork.

Mr. Chee rarely sells to any of the numerous Gallup wholesaler dealers. So, unless his work shows up as old pawn,you are not likely to find much of it with the traders. When he does sell commercially, he sells to recognized dealers like Garlands in Sedona, Arizona and the Toh-Atin Gallery of Durango, Colorado. Even though it is rare to find one of his jewelry masterworks in a Gallup shop, the city glitters with his work, as many of Gallup's residents call him for special orders: name tags, bracelets, rings, bow guards, belt buckles, pinsand pendants.

Mr. Chee's work is always reasonably priced. It generally takes a personal connection to get a special order from him. Robert Chee may not be a widely cataloged name on the museum circuit, but the town folk of Gallup, New Mexico know him as one of the best in the business.

Ruddell and Nancy Laconsello
(Zuni, New Mexico)

 

Ruddell and Nancy Laconsello of Zuni, New Mexico. Blue Ribbons for superior jewelry creations are commonplace in their lives of master jewelry makers Ruddell and Nancy Lanconsello of Zuni, New Mexico. They've been winning them for more than a quarter of century. There designs are first drawn on paper then cut out in silver and placed over a base sheet of sterling. Their colorful gem stones are then individually cut and inlaid with tight precision. They are then indivdiually etched to add additional depth. Birds and Bears are thier favorite subjects and are limited to those found locally. The Blue crowned Motmot, Toco Toucan, Hyacinth Macaw, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Blue and Gold Macaw, Gould's Finch, Scarlet Macaw, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Greater Bird of Paradise, and Cock of the Rock were the subject of one of their 2008 award winning concho belts. They have stiff competetition from at least a half-dozen more jewelers from Zuni who specialize in bird jewelry, but none exceed their excellence which explains the intense never ending demands for their work.

Stanley Parker
(1952...)

 

Stanley Parker was born and raised on the Navajo reservation in the shadow of the great Shiprock located in the 4 corners region of Northwest New Mexico. Unlike many of his contemporary competitors who had the early advantage of childhood home schooling in the fine art of silversmithing, he learned his skill later in life. As a young man, he began working in the electronics industry soldering circuit boards. He was subsequently drawn to silvermithing as a career after watching others work in the medium. He told me that his experience soldering electronic circuits facilitated his transition to working with silver. Two things about Stanley's work that really stand out are:
1) his master silversmithing
2) his choice of natural turquoise
His silver work is so precise that it looks machine made, only on careful inspection in most cases can one see "maker-marks." Stanley is very careful in his choice of stones. Finding satisfactory "cabachons" for mounting is his biggest production frustration. He used to cut his own from raw materials, but now finds he doesn't have the time to cut and polish. His fine work understandably commands high prices.

Sunshine Reeves

 

Sunshine Reeves is one of the most impressive of all the Navajo silversmiths. If there is another at his level of productivity, talent, and range of products it would have to be his brother Gary. Besides the usual sterling silver products like bracelets, rings, pendants, buckles and bolos Sunshine makes lidded boxes, spurs, candle holders, canteens, and even kerosene lanterns. His work is highly collective and his major productions are all museum worthy.