Jeanette Dale ranks near the top in the Traditional Navajo Silversmiths category. She comes from a family of artists. Her mother, father, and brother were accomplished silversmiths, and another brother, Eugene Joe (Baatsoslani), is arguably the finest sand painter on the Navajo Nation.
She did not start out as a silversmith but worked at a company that had opened a plant on the Navajo Reservation, where she soldered circuit boards for missiles. When the plant closed, her mother suggested that she try silversmithing.
Soldering circuit boards is detailed work, and with that talent and her innate artistic ability, Jeanette easily moved into the silversmithing world. Her first piece was a ring she took to Gallup to show to one of her mother's favorite traders. He immediately bought it and ordered more.
"He told me to always have some imperfection in what I made, something small so that people would know it was handmade," she said. "So I try to do that."
I think she forgets a lot because her work is stunningly beautiful.
Dale is different from many great artists in that she dislikes being in the limelight. Setting up a booth at Indian Market or the Heard Fair doesn't appeal to her.
"I like to make jewelry," she says, "and I like to visit with people, but I don't want to be in a show and sell my work. I let other people do that."
Luckily, we are one of those "people." We have had a great friendship with Jeanette for over forty years, and working with her has been a constant joy. She is a dedicated stone addict, and we are constantly looking for special turquoise and other materials that she will like. She has been known to drive a couple of hundred miles in a day to find the right stone for a special order.
This brings us to one of the market's most popular and highly sought-after turquoise. Sonoran Gold comes from Northern Mexico. I first saw it when Ernie Montoya, one of the world's largest turquoise dealers, showed some samples of it at Indian Market a couple of years ago.
It has a beautiful blue-green look and, unfortunately, or fortunately for a collector, it usually comes in small pieces. It did not form in hard rock like most turquoise but in a softer material and did not form in veins. Instead, you find small nuggets of this turquoise. Occasionally, people who mine the stone will find a group of larger nuggets that can be used in bigger jewelry pieces.
One day, Jeanette called and said, "I'm coming up, and you won't believe what I have. I made a necklace out of Sonoran Gold." Then, in her coy voice, where you can see her smile over the telephone, she added, "I don't know if you are interested!" I love this woman and her sense of humor.
Yes, we were, and we are sharing it with you today! I hope you like it.
