Sterling Silver Campitos Turquoise Earrings FJE2081

Repoussé is a traditional Navajo jewelry making technique. In repoussé, the metal is softened and hammered by hand from the reverse side, to create the low-relief pattern on the front side of the piece. Chasing works in conjunction with repoussé techniques, working on the opposite or front side of the piece to sink the metal in or create a groove or channel in the metal.

Mined in Mexico from the Pino Chueco and Cananea mines in Sonora, Campitos Turquoise was mined extensively in ancient times, with evidence of trade with Native American peoples. Campitos is unique in several ways. It grows in clay as free-form nuggets, rather than as veins which is typical of many North American turquoises. Its color is said to most closely resemble Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, and ranges from a light to medium blue with no matrix, and occasionally pyrite inclusions, giving it a bit of sparkle. A lovely, hard stone with beautiful color, Campitos is a favorite for jewelry artisans. The mine as we know it today has been producing since the 1980's. Campito in Spanish is a derivative of the word “campo”, meaning “field” or “countryside”