With real artist’s passion, Rebecca Begay along with husband Darryl Begay, produces some of the most impressive sandstone-cast jewelry in today’s market. Rebecca’s work has a unique contemporary quality, which sets her pieces apart. Her designs would often feature elements from nature, including butterflies and dragonflies. A true tufa stone casting master, Rebecca’s favorite techniques include experimenting with the unique texture of the sandstone and working with lines.
Both Rebecca and Darryl are deeply involved in all aspects of jewelry making. Rebecca begins their casting process by measuring and then outlining realistic figures, which are common themes in their pieces. After this, she begins the carving process before handing the cast over to Darryl, who does the detailed carving. The couple would both make bezels and stone settings, but it is Darryl who would usually shape the stones. The Begays use a wide variety of precious stones, including turquoise and coral in their designs.
Rebecca and Darryl Begay are very well-known for their mastery of the tufa stone casting technique. They are sought after for their intricate, precise, and detailed figure carvings, which set their work apart from the rest of the artists who use the age-old technique. Their impressive use of tufa stone to carve out exact outlines of realistic figures, human forms, landscapes, insects, and other nature forms is truly one of the most amazing forms of the art.
With a more feminine take on designs, Rebecca’s work also features a lot of floral patterns and water symbols. She finds sandstone to be the best material to use for her abstract and pictorial designs. Her casts usually start out as drawings and sketches, which she then transfers to the stone before carving out the material and casting the pieces. Because tufa is a soft material, it is extremely difficult to create more than one cast from a single carving, making the couple’s work truly one of a kind.
Turquoise Direct 