Jewelry Art Galleries

Southwest Jewelry: Turquoise, Silver, and a Living Tradition

Southwest jewelry, particularly the turquoise-and-silver work created by Diné, Zuni, and Hopi artisans, is recognized by collectors and museum curators worldwide as one of the great American art forms, a tradition of technical sophistication and aesthetic intelligence that developed over centuries through continuous refinement. The collaboration between Indigenous silversmithing tradition and the turquoise deposits of the Southwest, the finest turquoise in the world is found in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado, produced a distinctive aesthetic that entered American popular consciousness in the late 19th century and has never left. What is less widely understood is the depth and diversity of this tradition, which encompasses dozens of distinct techniques, regional styles, and individual artistic voices.

The three principal silversmithing traditions, Diné, Zuni, and Hopi, each developed in distinct directions. Diné silversmithing, the oldest and most widely recognized, is characterized by bold forms, heavy gauge silver, and large stones, with techniques including stamping, repoussé, and the distinctive sand casting that produces pieces with a granular, rough-textured surface. Zuni work is more intricate, featuring channel inlay, petit point, and needlepoint settings that cluster small stones in elaborate mosaic patterns. Hopi overlay work, developed in the mid-20th century, is entirely two-dimensional: two layers of silver sheet, the top layer cut to reveal designs drawn from ancient Hopi pottery and kachina imagery, are soldered together and the recessed areas oxidized to black.

Beyond these three major traditions, the Southwest has produced important jewelry artists working in ways that synthesize Indigenous and non-Indigenous influences. Contemporary Native jewelers including Cody Sanderson, Jesse Monongya, and Cippy Crazyhorse have pushed the form into territory that belongs fully to the contemporary art world while remaining rooted in ancestral technique. Non-Native jewelers inspired by Southwest materials and forms have developed their own significant traditions, visible in galleries throughout Sedona, Scottsdale, and Santa Fe.

Buying authentic Indigenous jewelry requires some care. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 makes it illegal to sell non-Native-made work as Native-made, but enforcement is imperfect and the market contains misleading work. Reputable dealers carry documentation of the artist's tribal enrollment and will readily provide hallmark identification. The Heard Museum in Phoenix and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque maintain reference collections that can help collectors develop an educated eye. Beginning collectors should look for established dealers on Santa Fe's Canyon Road, in Old Town Albuquerque, and at the annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, where artisans sell directly and documentation is guaranteed.