Pueblo silversmiths are responsible for the love the today's world has for inlay jewelry. Southwestern Native American jewelry artists are especially recognized for their lapidary skills used to create inlay jewelry.
Turquoise, shell, onyx, sugilite, gaspeite and other traditional stones are cut and polished and then combined in patterns and designs, embedded in the metal.
There are different inlay techniques.
Mosaic inlay is where each stone is laid in touching the stone next to it, and the stones are generally flush with the surface. Cobblestone inlay stones will be uneven in height and size, and may have beveled edges, giving the appearance of a cobble stone street.The stones are set touching each other, so it is considered a form a mosaic inlay. Channel inlay is different in that the stones will have metal between them. And finally, overlay inlay uses a cut-out design that attached to the backing and filled with stone work
Chalcosiderite is the scientific name for New Lander from Nevada.
New Lander is a beautiful hard material that takes a very good polish and comes in a range of colors that are very attractive in Southwest style jewelry.
New Lander grows in the same areas where you will find turquoise in Nevada, and is part of the turquoise mineral family. It can be confused with turquoise or variscite, but it is a classic stone in its own right. You will find modern and traditional Native American handmade jewelry made with New Lander.
Authentic Handmade Native American Jewelry
