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.

Both of my grandmothers were pin wearers.  Most of the adult women I grew up around wore these decorative pieces of jewelry on their blouses, on the lapels of their jackets, or, as my dad’s mother and aunt did, on her hats. They were both a little eccentric and a lot of fun!

Marie Jackson learned to make jewelry from her in-laws, Martha and Gene. When she met her husband, Tommy, he had been silversmith for years.

"I watched Martha and Gene making jewelry, and they helped me to get started. Tommy encouraged me, too!" she says.