Sammy & Esther Guardian Zuni Inlay Jewelry

Don't you just love the exquisite multi-gem jewelry of Zuni lapidarists and silversmiths, Sammy & Esther Guardian? Sammy & Esther Guardian are one of the best Zuni husband and wife teams working today. The artists are especially well-known for their inlaid birds and other animals and their intricate inlay jewelry is surprisingly affordable.

They started making jewelry in the 1960's and their work can be seen in all the Native American and Zuni jewelry reference books. (Gregory Schaaf's book American Indian Jewelry I, Volume 2 of Zuni the Art and the People by Ed, Barbara and Steve Bell, Barton Wright's Hallmarks of the Southwest,as well as Theda Bassman's Zuni Jewelry). They have won many awards over the years. These two Zuni jewelers have created mosaic as well as inlay jewelry. They make bolos, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, pendants and pins using gold, silver, coral, turquoise, jet, mother-of-pearl, abalone shell and penn shell.  

We have a great selection of Sammy & Esther Guardian bracelets, earrings, pendants & belt buckles featuring red cardinals, colorful hummingbirds, bald eagles, blue jays, roadrunners, and snowy owls. Visit our website www.tumbleweedsjewelry.com

Sammy & Esther Guardian Zuni Hummingbird Earrings & Pendant Set
Zuni Multigem Inlay Cardinal Pendant, Sammy & Esther Guardian 

Zuni Silver Inlay Cardinal Bracelet, Sammy & Esther Guardian

Sammy & Esther Guardian Zuni Inlay Eagle Pendant  
Sammy & Esther Guardian Zuni Mosaic Inlay Cardinal Silver Buckle

Heart Jewelry for Valentine's Day

Here's a few Valentine's Day gift ideas for the Native American jewelry lover in your life!

Navajo Calvin Begay Double Inlaid Heart Earrings

Native American Coral Heart Earrings, Everett & Mary Teller 

Navajo Silver Overlay Turquoise Heart Earrings, Everett & Mary Teller

Navajo Silver Overlay Sugilite Heart Earrings, Everett & Mary Teller

La Rose Ganadonegro Navajo Turquoise Spiny Oyster Heart Pendant Necklace

Vintage Native American Silver Earrings, Frank & Brihilda Coriz, Santo Domingo

Navajo Purple Spiny Oyster Heart Pin

Navajo Sterling Silver Overlay Heart Pendant, Everett & Mary Teller    
   

Navajo Sterling Silver Overlay Jewelry by Everett & Mary Teller

Everett & Mary Teller  are Native American Navajo Jewelry Silversmith Artists,  living on the Navajo Reservation near the Four Corners (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona),  below the Lukachukai Mountains. They have been making jewelry full time for over 23 years. They enjoy working and traveling together as collaborative artists creating contemporary Navajo jewelry. 

They say that their jewelry making is all self-taught. Along the way, they have received a few tips from very close friends, who are renowned award winning jewelers. 

The Tellers create a high quality line of jewelry. All their work is hand made from sterling silver and 14k gold, with simple overlay Navajo basket and rug designs. They  incorporate the storm pattern designs on all their jewelry pieces, which are then embellished with good quality turquoise, coral, lapis, charoite, sugilite, oyster shell and more. They also make hand woven silver chains and bola chords. And aside from jewelry, they make fine silver pottery bowls, seed pots, miniature tea sets, and wedding vases.  All of their pieces are signed  with their initials EMT inside a fish, symbolizing their Christian faith.

Mary Teller is a member of the Water Flows Together Clan and has been silversmithing since 1972. She was taught silversmithing by her mother, Margaret Bochinclonny.  Everett was born in 1956 and is a member of the Coyote Pass Clan and the Going Around You Clan. He has been silversmithing since 1988.

Their work has been displayed at the Heard and Eiteljorg Museums, and they are popular favorites at all the Santa Fe Markets.

We have an extentive selection of jewelry made by these two innovative artists, from fabulous one of a kind, museum quality necklaces, to bracelets, rings, earrings and even miniature seed pots.

Click here to see our full selection of Everett & Mary Teller sterling silver jewelry and seed pots.

Featured Native American Artist: David Tune (Creek/Navajo)

David Tune is a member of the Creek and Navajo Tribes. He began his professional career as a jewelry craftsman in 1976, when he was commissioned to design a jewelry ensemble for the National March of Dimes Poster Child and Past President Ford Senate. Since then, he has created some of the finest masterpieces of authentic Native American Indian jewelry with a contemporary flair.

The work of David Tune is very distinctive and easily recognizable. He works primarily in sterling silver and gold and uses authentic multi-colored coral, turquoise, lapis, sugilite, mother of pearl and various other materials, which each symbolize the six directions in life, in combination with his dramatic stamp work. His colorful and innovative jewelry inlays are inspired by the aerial views of the earth that he sees when hot air ballooning and skydiving. His creations include rings, necklaces, bolos, bracelets, earrings and concho belts. Every piece that is created by David symbolizes a special spiritual meaning. David stamps each of his pieces with the symbol of a sun surrounded by a circle.


Awards:

- 1983 Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup, NM
- 1985 Best of Show, Red Earth, Oklahoma, OK
- 1986 Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup, NM
- 1995 Best of Show, New Mexico State Fair
- 1997 1st Place Indian Art Show, Lawrence, KS
- 1999 Best of Show, Tulsa, OK Art Show

We have a nice selection of David Tune jewelry for sale on our website. David Tune Jewelry

Visit www.tumbleweedsjewelry.com to view our entire selection of handmade Native American jewelry by the top Navajo, Zuni, Hopi & Santo Domingo jewelry.

Featured Navajo Artist : Orville Tsinnie

Orville Tsinnie is a master Navajo silversmith who has been making jewelry since the 1970s and has won numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA), an honor that brings well-deserved recognition to this fine American Indian artist. Orville is a perfectionist, hand picking and polishing only the highest quality natural stones. He cuts, polishes and sets the stones by hand. The level of craftsmanship in Orville's work is superior. His designs are flawlessly executed, his soldering technique very clean, and his finishing and polishing meticulous. This careful attention to detail sets Orville's jewelry apart from many others, and reveals the pride he takes in his work. A steady presence in the world of American Indian art for over twenty-five years, Orville Tsinnie's work is distinctive and stylish. Orville creates some of the finest and unique Native American hand made jewelry on the market today.  His works are highly collectible.

We have an extensive selection of Orville Tsinnie hand made jewelry available for sale on our website.

Click here to view our current selection of Orville Tsinnie's jewelry

>We've had the opportunity to meet and purchase jewelry directly from Orville many times over the years and it is always a pleasure to visit with him and his wife Darlene. We often work directly with Orville to create custom jewelry for our customers.  All the Orville Tsinnie jewelry we sell has been purchased directly from the artist.

Awards: Lifetime Acheivement Award IACA, many awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market, more.

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