Why You Should Choose Carl and Irene Clark Jewelry

Carl and Irene Clark are remarkable for their extremely fine and high-quality jewelry. They use micro-fine intarsia inlay methods to create the highly detailed designs. Both artists came from large Navajo families, with Carl from the Manygoat-Redhouse Clan (which is related to the Bitterwater people) and Irene from the Edgewater Clan (which is related to the Towering people). Clans are important to the Navajo tradition—especially the mother’s clan. Clark and Irene’s families are known rug weavers. Their tribal affiliations and lineage are among the major influences of their unique designs.

Carl is considered one of the innovators of inlay jewelry. He is a master of micro-fine inlay techniques, reminiscent of the 1930 art deco style. He is able to add color to his creations using micro-inlay techniques and his most notable creations depict Monument Valley. He is also known for designs that depict the Yeis (the rainbow man) and Navajo rugs.

The Clarks’ micro-inlay Monument Valley bolo tie is one of their most remarkable pieces that can increase the value of your jewelry collection. It uses more than 3,500 stones that were carefully and intricately inlaid into a frame made of tufa cast sterling silver. The blend of different stones like natural turquoise, jasper, sugilite, red and pink coral, jet, mother of pearl, and lapis lazuli created an eye-catching starry night scene of Monument Valley, with a full moon on its back. It took a lot of time to create this bolo tie, so only a few pieces are produced each year, making it one of the rarest Carl and Irene Clark pieces you can find online.

Authentic Carl and Irene Clark jewelry is always backed by a certificate of authenticity to assure collectors of the artists’ names and their tribal affiliation. A certificate of authenticity lists the value of the jewelry and the materials that Carl and Irene used to make the piece. This way, you know exactly what you are getting.

Tips to Find Philander Begay Jewelry Online

Philander Begay is among the most accomplished Navajo silversmiths, so having one of his authentic pieces should make your jewelry collection more valuable and eye-catching. It is easy to invest in pieces of Philander Begay jewelry when you search for them at the right place. The key is to look for a reputable retailer that specializes in Native American and natural American turquoise jewelry. Here are tips to find the right store and which type of Philander Begay jewelry you should buy online:

• Verify the store’s reputation – Look up the years that the retailer has been in business. Some of the best Native American jewelry stores in the US are family businesses with over four decades of experience.
• Explore the range of Philander Begay jewelry online – Check out the online store’s selection of Philander Begay jewelry. Reputable stores are authorized to carry a wide range of his creations from bolo ties to bracelets, belt buckles, and pins.
• Invest in one of his turquoise tufa cast bracelets – Some of Philander’s masterpieces are his rare gem grade turquoise tufa cast bracelets, which feature unique and incredible designs that are truly exquisite. Philander Begay is known as a master of tufa casting and this allows him to make gorgeous bracelets with elaborately carved designs that represent traditional Navajo customs, traditions, and scenes. The centerpieces of these bracelets are beautiful pieces of turquoise which add even more value to the pieces.
• Go for one-of-a-kind pieces – Philander Begay’s belt buckles and bolos  feature innovative carvings in tufa stone and molten sterling silver, a process which adds a wonderfully textured finish. Silver is then oxidized and polished to create a design that seems to pop out of the piece.
• Look for a certificate of authenticity – Authentic Philander Begay jewelry should come with a certificate of authenticity which assures you of the artist’s name and tribal affiliation, the materials used, and the value of the item.

Buy Beautiful Native American Jewelry by Kirk Smith

Many Native American jewelers are known for making the most remarkable turquoise jewelry and if you are looking for a distinctive and collectible piece, a creation by Navajo artist, Kirk Smith is among those that you should consider. Kirk Smith comes from the Dine tribe and the Kiyaa Alani Shush Dine clan, which means ‘towering house bear people.’ At age seven, he began helping his grandfather, John Smith, work with primitive tools on silver. He learned sand casting from his family from 1969 to 1972, and it was also during this time when Harry Morgan, famous silversmith and brother-in-law, mentored him.

Kirk Smith’s jewelry pieces feature high grade stones and exquisitely detailed silverwork. He carefully chose each stone to make sure that it had a vibrant color with natural matrix patterns. He finished his jewelry to give it the look of fine traditional Native American jewelry. His bracelets make excellent heirloom pieces. Hence, investing in one of his increasingly rare and hard to find pieces will be a valuable addition to your collection. Kirk died tragically on September 17, 2012 at age 55 in an automobile accident, but his works are still available online.

You can find and buy Native American jewelry by Kirk Smith from stores that carry rare natural American turquoise and fine Native American jewelry. Reputable stores have been in business for more than 40 years, making them an excellent source when you want to make sure that you are buying an authentic Kirk Smith bracelet. All authentic pieces come with a certificate of authenticity, which guarantees the collector of the artist’s name and his tribal affiliation. The certification mentions the retail value and the materials used in the item, too. This way, you know exactly what you are getting, and you can easily make arrangements to make the piece a part of your treasury or collection.

Leo Yazzie Jewelry: Classic Beauty and Exclusive Designs

Jewelry making and metal forging have long been a significant part of the lives of Southwest Native peoples, particularly the Navajos. In the last half-a-century, Native jewelers have created a unique contemporary aesthetic around their jewelry designs—one that draws on traditional and locally sourced materials and reflects the prominence of their most important cultural values. Leo Yazzie has been working with gold and silver for many decades. His designs are extraordinary in their intricacy and the startling beauty of his work has garnered him collectors worldwide.

Leo Yazzie’s work features a wide range of beautiful natural stones, gems, and minerals inlaid in gold and silver, ranging from rare and beautiful turquoise, like Lone Mountain, Blue Gem and Indian Mountain, to opal, coral, lapis lazuli, black jade and sugulite. Many exclusive designs are available online at the most competitive prices from your trusted dealers. When shopping for Navajo designer jewelry via the web, it is important to verify the sources of the pieces you are buying to make sure that you are getting the real deal. Ask for a Certificate of Authenticity as well.

Incredible Tommy Jackson Navajo Jewelry Designs

A top Navajo jewelry designer, Tommy Jackson is an award-winning artist known for his handmade masterpieces. This work can be described as elegant, intricate and high-quality, not to mention one-of-a-kind as Tommy has a unique eye for unusual raw materials. His choice of stones and material combinations are always unusual, making his finished pieces equally unique.

Tommy Jackson was born in the late 1950s, but his style is an integration of Navajo traditions and a unique modern flair. He works with silver and gold, along with a variety of semi-precious and precious stones. From a young age, Tommy was exposed to the art of jewelry making through his mother and father, who are also practitioners of the craft.

Before being a full-time jewelry designer, Tommy got his degree in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona and continued to give back to the community by teaching Navajo students. Not surprisingly, he is also able to pass on his influence in jewelry making to some of his former students, who are now budding artists in their own rights.

Tommy’s gold and silver jewelry combine modern-day aesthetics with traditional Navajo influences. This unique integration of traditional and modern designs has earned him great recognitions and awards. His work is sought after by collectors from around the world, and many of his pieces are featured in different Museums across Arizona.

Tommy Jackson’s mosaic inlays are some of the best of their kind, characterized by clean lines and unique visual patterns. He also makes some of the most elegant-looking turquoise ring inlays and earrings. He is an expert at creating unique color block patterns using different types of precious and semi-precious stones and his works also feature intricate silverwork that all the more enhances and highlights the beauty of his unique stone settings.

Look For Stunning Sterling Silver Jewelry by Thomas Jim

Thomas Jim is a famed Navajo silversmith. He picked up his knowledge of silversmithing from John Bedone, his uncle, and he became interested in high-grade stones, which he later included in his intricately detailed silverwork. Thomas Jim’s creations are distinct for their traditional Navajo styles in silver, with dragonflies and crosses being some of his favorite themes. His creativity and timeless tribal sterling silver jewelry earned him awards like ‘best of jewelry’ at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, and ‘best of show’ at Santa Fe Indian Market.

Some of Thomas Jim’s best pieces are set with the finest turquoise. His sterling silver necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and bolo ties stand out with their unique designs that are typically deeply and heavily stamped. This led to his reputation as a detail-oriented Native American silversmith who creates high-quality designs. He may be more famous as a silversmith, but he has the skills to work with 14K gold, too. In fact, some of his masterpieces are made with both 14K gold and sterling silver.

Consider investing in one or two of Thomas Jim’s pieces of jewelry. His rare gem grade Royston turquoise bolo tie features a bezel which has been precisely chiseled by hand, then surrounded by heavy hand-twisted wire to emphasize a deeply stamped sunburst outline. You can find sterling silver jewelry by Thomas Jim online. Look up reputable retailers of rare natural American turquoise and the finest Native American jewelry.

The best retailers work directly with Thomas Jim, so they are able to sell the pieces at highly competitive prices. Moreover, they are able to provide a certificate of authenticity with each piece. The certificate assures collectors of the artist’s name and his tribal affiliation, as well as the materials used for the piece and its retail value. This way, you can easily add a Thomas Jim sterling silver piece to your collection or to your estate.