We recently received three outstanding pieces of Indian jewelry and one made by a legendary white guy who has earned the respect of Native artists.

Wil Vandever was a highly collected Navajo jeweler, known best for his detailed silverwork and use of high-quality stones.

He learned to be a jeweler when he married his wife, Cora, and went on to win many awards for his work.

For years, back when I oversaw the Indian Arts and Crafts Association’s wholesale markets, two of the people I always looked forward to working with were Gene and Martha Jackson. They always had a smile and Martha used to stock her booth with treats. Since I can’t walk by a bowl of candy or snacks without getting personally involved, their booth was one of my favorites.

Andy Cadman was born in 1966 in Gallup and has made a name for himself with his beautiful silver jewelry which is usually set with multiple stones and features a lot of stamp work.

If you have followed our emails for long, you know how we feel about Ray Lovato. This Santo Domingo jeweler is one of the last in that village who still hand grinds turquoise beads to make heishi jewelry.

Nothing is as striking as a necklace made of strands of red coral beads from Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo.

When I was growing up and learning the Indian Arts and Crafts business, there were three Hopi artists that I remember the best.

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a huge boom in interest in Southwestern Native American art, but mostly in Indian jewelry. Turquoise and silver were the rage and, while much of the jewelry sold at that time was mediocre, and a lot of it was never touched by an actual Native American.

Back in December, we featured a Navajo artist named Fritson Toledo who was making some incredible jewelry that looked like it could have come out of the early 1900s.

That is not easy to do.

I believe that the Squash Blossom necklace is one the most beautiful jewelry designs in the history of the world!

How’s that for a strong opinion?

Back in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, when there was an explosion of interest in Southwest Indian jewelry, the Pueblo of Zuni was a very busy place. Silver and lapidary artists made jewelry as fast as they could and still couldn’t satisfy the market.

When the Spanish came to the Southwest, their mission was the three Gs: Gold, Glory and God. They used to teach that in school!

Gold, and riches, were the number one objective for the conquistadors.