Inv# RCTM1903

Guarantee:  Turquoise Slab earrings with Sterling Silver ear wires; by KEWA [Santo Domingo] Native American jewelry artist Ronald Chavez ; approx. 2.3” total length.

Detailed Description:  Earrings with Sterling Silver ear wires suspending a 1.8” in length & uniquely shaped, long tear-drop shaped slab turquoise; made by KEWA [Santo Domingo] Native American jewelry artist Ronald Chavez. 

Materials:  Turquoise slab; Sterling Silver ear wires

Detailed Dimensions.  [Dimensions are approximate; measurements made with a micrometer]

• Earring Total length including ear wires:  2.3”; with 0.5” long ear wire & 1.8” length slab

• Earring slab widest width:  0.7”

• Weight:  8.6 grams

Comments.  We are delighted to offer these beautiful turquoise slab earrings hand-crafted by Kewa [Santo Domingo] Native American artist Ronald Chavez.  Each of Ronald’s earrings is a reflection of his artistic vision and skill.

He begins by envisioning the design, shape, size and beauty he wants to create out of specific small pieces of a slab of turquoise.  To produce a beautiful earring pair, he also has to select a second piece of slab that will closely match the same colors, design & pattern of turquoise as the first piece—his matching turquoise on this pair is excellent and beautiful!  Next is hand-shaping the pieces into appealing shapes; followed by polishing the surfaces & carefully drilling holes for the sterling silver wire.  Unskilled or hurried work can crack, scratch, or demolish turquoise and other semi-precious stones & ‘slabs’ because they are relatively soft materials.  So we are awed when we think about the artistic vision—not just the time involved and difficulty of hand-selecting, hand-shaping, & hand-drilling the slab pieces—required to produce beautifully matching hand-crafted earrings like these!

The jewelry market is now flooded with inexpensive fake “American Indian” silver jewelry that in fact originates in foreign countries and is either hand-made in ‘sweat shops’ or is mass-produced by machines in factories.  Many Native American artists rely on sale of their unique art to support themselves and their families.  So by purchasing Ronald’s earrings, you are supporting not only a skilled Native American artist, but also helping to preserve the threatened hand-crafted art knowledge, vision and skills handed down by previous generations of his Kewa Pueblo ancestors.  Native Americans are not only the first occupants of America—they also are the first American artists as reflected in prehistoric dwellings, petroglyphs, pictographs, paintings, basketry, pottery, foot wear, and clothing.