It’s all about the journey, kids. An array of art made better by the hands of another artist. In this instance, my friend Navajo silversmith Elgin Tom.
I bought the unsigned silver watch cuff (purchased by the gram/ounce) at a high end coin and jewelry shop. Featuring fish scale inlay turquoise, it was probably made at least 60 years ago at Zuni. Bought a rough slab of jet stone (organic rock created when pieces of woody material are buried, compacted, and then go through organic degradation) at Mama’s Minerals in Old Town Albuquerque. The lapidist there cut a stone 20mm x 30mm for Elgin to convert the cuff to a straight forward bracelet. Few people wear watch cuffs or tips these days, although I do have a few because I love the workmanship on the pieces.
The crude copper cuff I bought in Bryan, Texas, February of 2017. I remember the day well. I was with my sister Joan, in Texas on the last extended visit I made to Texas, when I still had stewardship of the two-story barn home I gifted to one of my other sisters that July. The penny was soldered to the cuff. I harvested the sugilite and coral stones from something sometime here. Elgin made a silver bezel for the stones. My only regret is that the oxidized surface on the cuff got lost in the translation. Small loss given the smashing (fab, gorge) results.
Can’t remember the name of the Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo artist, who along with her husband created the pendant with a spiny oyster base inlayed with jet, mother of pearl, and a jet powder and resin mix.
It was Indian Market, and this expectant mother was selling in the garden courtyard of the Governor’s Palace. Her mom accompanied her that day. Elgin made the concho button and hook for it.
And finally, the spiny oyster stone found at a pawn shop nearby came in an 1980s/90s pendant, set in blah, commercially-produced silver work. Elgin made the bezel and bale. Yumbo jumbo all, y'all!
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