Amazing Custom Jewelry Designs by Darryl Dean Begay

An award-winning Navajo jewelry artist, Darryl Dean Begay received the prestigious and highly coveted Best of Show award during the 88^th annual Santa Fe Indian Market along with his wife Rebecca. Since then, the couple’s jewelry making career blossomed, making them true leaders in the industry. Darryl has successfully made his own niche in the jewelry making and Native American art scene, thanks to his unique styles and designs.

His work is rich in Navajo cultural inspirations and all his pieces are handmade using skills that he has developed through years of learning, and techniques that are very much his own. Having trained under world renowned masters of the craft, (Begay learned the ins and outs of tufa casting from uncle, Bobby Begay and stone inlaying from Raymond Yazzie) it is no surprise that Begay is highly respected in the Navajo jewelry scene. His unique technique combines tufa casting and his incredible use of lapidary inlay and fabrication. This interesting marriage of two innovative working styles has brought him the recognition that his pieces so richly deserve. Begay’s pieces are widely sought after across the globe for their exceptional quality and innate beauty.

Darryl Dean Begay creates one design at a time, giving his undivided attention to each creation. He and wife Rebecca only use top grade materials to ensure the quality of each finished product. He has excellent knowledge of gemstones, particularly turquoise, and uses the things he learned from the masters along with his own unique techniques and styles to create the most exciting designer pieces you will see in the market. Also evident in his pieces is his strong dedication to the Navajo culture. Each piece reflects his deep desire to preserve cultural traditions. His work also uses precious gems and sacred stones, which he believes give his pieces positive energy.

Aaron Anderson the Artist with Traditional Ideals and Contemporary Style

A third generation Navajo jewelry artist, Aaron Anderson is widely recognized as a master of tufa casting in the Native American jewelry art community. Born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico, where he still lives and practices his craft. Anderson creates some of the most highly valued pieces in the market today. Art collectors as well as fellow artists all around the world seek his pieces for their impressive quality and individuality.

Specializing in the highly regarded technique known as tufa casting, every piece Anderson makes is guaranteed unique and one of a kind. Each cast piece is meticulously hand carved to ensure design quality. The carved tufa blocks used as cast for each jewelry piece can only be used once, making everything Anderson makes completely unique. Even when he does make copies of his original designs, Anderson makes sure to include something that would indicate that the piece is not identical. The artist also insists that his designs are always limited edition.

With a deep understanding of the tufa casting technique, Anderson creates stunning pieces that combine elements from his Christian faith along with some traditional designs from his Native American roots. When asked about stories behind his work, Anderson very graciously said that each piece he works on, does have a strong story behind it. He advises other jewelry artists not to go on telling magnificent tales about their pieces just to sell them, but to let their work speak for themselves. True enough, the quality of each Aaron Anderson piece speaks for Anderson’s strong inclination towards his traditional ideals and his love for the art, which has been part of his life since he was young.

The Fine Tufa Cast Jewelry of Aaron Anderson

Navajo silversmith, Aaron Anderson, is one of the icons of contemporary Native American art. He is well-known for his tufa casting method, whereby every cast piece is carefully carved by hand to produce one-of-a-kind designs. Tufa blocks are only usable once, so most artists like Aaron himself, need to create one block for each piece. Often, when an Aaron Anderson piece is sold, he includes the original tufa block he used during the casting process to emphasize the jewelry’s uniqueness and value. Authorized sellers of his tufa cast pieces may include the tufa block he used, too, along with a certificate of authenticity to assure collectors his tribal affiliation and name, as well as the item’s retail value and the materials used.

Many of his masterpieces today are created in a studio which he shares alongside other famous tufa casting specialists like Darryl Dean and Philander Begay. Though they use the same method, Aaron Anderson’s tufa cast creations are able to stand out with their one-of-a-kind designs, which often blend the traditional with contemporary themes. Moreover, he uses the raised inlay technique to create a more eye-dazzling effect on each piece. Like many remarkable artists, Aaron uses only the highest-quality and finest stones, like gem-grade coral and turquoise. Aaron Anderson’s passion for his work along with his workmanship, creativity, upbringing, and strong Christian faith all influence the designs of his tufa cast and silver bracelets.

Aaron has won many blue ribbons from different shows, as well as eight awards for his casting prowess at the Famed Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial. His tufa cast jewelry is showcased at Santa Fe’s indigenous fine art market and at the Native Jewelers Society. You should be able to find some of his works at authorized stores specializing in Native American jewelry and rare natural American turquoise.

Award winning Gold Jewelry By Native American Artists

Metals have been used to make jewelry for centuries, and they often determine a piece’s overall impact, value, durability, and aesthetic. Gold is one of the most highly prized and timeless metals found in treasured pieces around the world, irrespective of culture or tradition. Gold may have started out as a payment method, but it became used in jewelry during Alexander the Great’s time. Gold jewelry continues to captivate the mind and heart of mankind due to its luster, and its universally valued and classic beauty, with some of the most unforgettable pieces handcrafted by talented award winning Native American artists.

Gold is naturally soft and may become deformed, so it is often mixed with other alloy metals like zinc and copper. Many of the popular pieces of gold jewelry by Native American artists are made with 14 karats or 18 karat gold, which are 58.3 percent pure and 75 percent pure respectively. Dina Huntinghorse, known for her themed jewelry, used solid 14k gold to create a bear pendant. The metal is placed over sterling silver to create an incredible contrasting look. Bears are important to the Native American culture, as they represent physical strength, courage, leadership, and protection. A sterling silver heart line runs along the center to represent the animal’s breath and life force.

Arland Ben is another award winning remarkable artist who often incorporates intricate 18k and 14k gold petroglyph images on his pieces. He overlays them on sterling silver to create attractive and one-of-a-kind jewelry. His highly collectible pieces of jewelry often feature the highest-grade natural turquoise stones found in America. An example would be the rare gem grade Candelaria spiderweb and Bisbee turquoise, which he used on a solid 14k gold over sterling silver bolo tie with a petroglyph design. The stunning and unique bolo’s petroglyphs and bolo tips are made of gold.

Insights on Jewelry with Inlay Designs

By definition, inlaying is a decorative method where custom cut stones or gems, like turquoise, lapis lazuli, or coral are set into an unfilled area of a piece of jewelry. The intricacy and design, rarity of the material or materials and the quality of the metals of each inlay piece makes it desirable and collectible. The fine art of inlaying is a technique that is used by many jewelers and artists around the world, including Native Americans who make one-of-a-kind inlay jewelry using precious and semiprecious stones.

Jewelry pieces that feature inlaid gems and stones are lovely alternatives to products that are created using more conventional mounting methods. High-end jewelry with inlay designs is hand-made and hand-carved, making each individual piece highly valuable. The most highly prized pieces display the signature style of their creators, too, thus, adding more value to them. An example would be the Brandon spiderweb turquoise in a colorful inlay bracelet by Vernon Begaye, a Navajo from a traditional silversmithing family on the reservation. The bracelet features a raised inlay, one of the most challenging methods in lapidary arts. Vernon used his masterful silverwork and combined it with his style, resulting in a one-of-a-kind, colorful, and striking piece that features ironwood, lapis, ebony, charoite, spiny oyster shell, chrysophrase, green jade, fresh water pearl, jasper, and calcasiderite. Apache blue and Morenci turquoise are expertly inlaid on the piece.

The finest examples of jewelry with inlay designs are timeless and vintage pieces that are sought-after by collectors. An example of this is the vintage colorful inlay bracelet by Gilbert Nelson. The piece dates to the 1990s and features a dramatic and unique design. The Navajo jeweler used Carico Lake turquoise inlaid with opal, onyx, and coral, creating a vibrant hue.

Boost Your Jewelry Collection with Earrings Designed by Award Winning Native American Artists

As a sophisticated jewelry collector, you are looking for the best jewelry available in the market. Your collection will be enhanced if it contains one-of-a-kind earrings designed and handmade by award winning artists. Some of the highly coveted earrings are made by Native American artists whose creations are inspired by their culture, traditions, and lifestyle. Here is an overview of some of the best selection of earrings by these artists:

• Royston turquoise dangle earrings by Leonard Nez – The artist picked two perfectly matched gems to create a fine pair of earrings. The all-natural cabochons are striking hunter green in hue with a lovely matrix of gold. Each stone is embraced by a hand-chiseled shadowbox, which is signature to Leonard Nez’s work.

• Red web Kingman turquoise earrings by Jennifer Curtis – Considered as masterpieces, these earrings were made out of the artist’s intensive labor as she finely hand-chiseled over 40 teeth along the edges of every stone. Every dental bezel is set on a bright plate to complement the natural beauty of the turquoise. The stone itself is from Arizona’s Kingman mine.

• Sterling silver bead earrings by Alfred Joe – The artist crafted these earrings by hand. He made the fine beads and strung three types. The fluted center is strung between large and small highly polished beads. The result is fine accessories that can go with any wardrobe and add value your jewelry collection.

• Number Eight spiderweb turquoise Ingot dangle earrings by Sammie Kescoli Begay – The artist chose perfectly matched Number 8 turquoise gems, resulting in a timeless pair of earrings that continues to represent the mine. The stones are seated in handmade bezels and embraced by a small layer of silver droplets. The border is striking with fine, detailed stampwork. Despite their size, they are surprisingly comfortable to wear.

Every time you buy earrings designed by award winning Native American artists, make sure that they come with a certificate of authenticity to assure you of the artist’s name and tribal affiliation. The certification should assure you of the item’s value and the materials the artists used to make each piece, too.