Beautiful sky-blue Golden Hills Turquoise earrings with a deep, dark oxidized sterling silver and a thick, twist wire border. Handmade by Diné silversmith Tawney Willie.
GOLDEN HILLS TURQUOISE Unique periwinkle blues and beautiful burnt umber matrix have made this turquoise an instant favorite in the Southwest. Coming from the Altyn-Tyube mine in Kazakhstan, this hard, high-grade material produces gorgeous natural cabochons.
TWISTED WIRE metalworking is a very old technique used by many Southwestern tribes. It can be found in both vintage and modern pieces.
Navajo Nation Dineh, Diné
The Navajo people live on approximately 27,000 square miles of reservation in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah, and refer to themselves as Dineh, or Diné, which means The People in their native language.
The land of the Navajo Nation has an array of ancient ruins, including the world-renowned Navajo National Monument and the tranquil Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Here, you can step back in time and see how the ancient ones - the Anasazi people (Navajo Ancestors), lived thousands of years ago.
The Navajo people are prolific producers of fine jewelry, art, weaving, sandpaintings and pottery. Their artisans continue to make the world a more beautiful place with their unique traditional and modern works.
Tawney Willie-Cruz held out till she was nearly thirty before learning how to turn silver and stone into the beautiful jewelry her family is so well known for crafting. She began lessons with her father, renowned silversmith Lonnie Willie. Learning along with her were her husband, Allen Cruz, and her younger brother Cooper.
Tawney feels blessed to have parents who have provided her with two quite different native backgrounds to grow up with and enjoy.
Her father is of Navajo roots while her mother is from South Dakota and of Sioux ancestry.
Tawney is happy to share both native cultures and now draws from both in her jewelry designs with she describes as traditional with a bit of contemporary twist. The jewelry making techniques she enjoys most are the three S’s – saw work, stamp work and shaping.
Eight to twelve hours days at the work bench are common and welcome her these days. When possible she relaxes with her favorite activities-shopping, hiking cooking and more shopping!
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