MARY TAFOYA, CHRISTOPHER NIETO, AND TIMOTHY BAILON
THREE INNOVATIVE SANTO DOMINGO - KEWA - JEWELRY ARTISTS

There are many Santo Domingo tribal members making mosaic inlay and heishi jewelry these days, but here are three Kewa artists whose jewelry really stands out from the crowd. All three of these Santo Domingo jewelry makers have very distinct and unusual styles.

Christopher Thomas Nieto  is a young self-taught jeweler, whose work just keeps better and better! He has become famous for his intricate and innovative mosaic inlay and high quality heishi work. He inlays on round surfaces, he inlays the sides of his pieces, and he incorporates many different shapes into his jewelry!

Timothy Bailon is another Santo Domingo native whose style is very different from the traditional Kewa jewelry. His jewelry is in high demand. This photo shows some of the latest designs by Chris and Timothy.

Mary Tafoya is one of our favorite jewelry makers who creates unique contemporary works of art. Her colorful abstract jewelry has become a favorite of many Native American jewelry lovers. Her jewelry is colorful, somewhat "folksy", even whimsical, and her unique designs are extremely popular. She learned her jewelry making techniques from her parents. She has taken this ancient art of mosaic where no one else has, while staying very traditional in technique. She uses different types and colors of stones, unusual shapes of shell, cutting them at different angles to get the desired look. Feast your eyes on some of her original pieces!

Mary Tafoya Jewelry

Visit our website tumbleweedsjewelry.com for our latest selection of jewelry by these ground breaking artists.