If I had to name the top three traditional Navajo silversmiths working today, Jeanette Dale would be one of them. I don’t know who the others are, but I don’t think she’d be in second place.
Dale is not as famous as many well-known silversmiths because she doesn’t do shows like the Santa Fe Indian Market or the Heard Fair.
“I just don’t like to do that where you are standing there, and everyone is coming by looking at you. I like to make jewelry,” she says.
She is not quiet or shy or dislikes talking to people. She enjoys having long conversations with anyone looking at her jewelry in the gallery, and she has a great sense of humor, but doesn’t like being the center of attention. When you are as good as she is, it is hard not to be.
She began her working life soldering computer chips for Raytheon when the company had a plant near Farmington, NM. When the plant closed, her mom, a skilled silversmith, suggested that she try silversmithing. It stuck, and some 40 years later, she continues to make incredible jewelry.
Jeanette is known for three things. Her work is made with the heaviest silver appropriate for the piece she is working on. Her jewelry is substantial. Her stamp work is precise, even, and deep, and she is a stone addict. It is not unusual for her to drive three hours from her home, south of Shiprock, to obtain the right stone for a project. She and her husband, Harry, have put thousands of miles on that car, looking for the perfect piece of turquoise.
She enjoys working with the same dealers who give her latitude in her work. There are three of us who buy her jewelry, and we all feel the same way about her. If you give her stones to make something, you know they need to be good enough for her jewelry, and you know it will be special when it is finished. She is one of the few artists who doesn’t need to call and ask if we are buying. Anyone who works with Jeanette is always happy to have her work. A few years ago, when things were lean, I remember calling my banker (who is a wonderful woman) and saying, “I need to borrow some money for a few days. Jeanette is here.”
About a month ago, I was fortunate enough to acquire a selection of beautiful Mediterranean coral from an old collection. You can guess what I was thinking!
Jeanette came in a few days earlier, and we went upstairs in the gallery, where she likes to browse through the turquoise to see if there's anything special she could use to make something for us. I pulled out a couple of pretty nice turquoise trays and put the coral tray on the bottom.
She started with the top tray and dismissed it pretty quickly. She thought the second one had some possibilities and pulled some stones from the third one. She set that tray aside, and her eyes opened up when she saw the deep red coral in the next tray. “Ooooow! Where did you get this? This is nice!” she exclaimed.
That was fun! She started laying out the cabs, assembling them to create sets, and trying to decide what to do with them. She asked, “What do you think I should make with these?”
My answer was, “Whatever you want, Jeanette.”
That is what she did, and we are pleased to offer you the collection today. She made quite a few bracelets because she likes them. You're missing something if you've never worn a Jeanette Dale Bracelet. They are solid and comfortable. They feel fabulous on your wrist, and they are beautiful.
Be sure to check out some of her other jewelry on our website. Jeanette is an American treasure, and any collector of Southwestern Indian jewelry should have a piece of her work. Trust me on this!
