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Alex Sanchez is one of those artists who bridges traditional and contemporary in his jewelry. His work is heavy, and his stamp work is precise. He only uses top-quality stones. That would be enough for Sanchez to stand out among his contemporaries, but he takes the work a step further.

He selectively uses small amounts of gold and cut-out silver images of Zuni and Navajo symbols, with some petroglyphs thrown in. But with all of the designs and stamp work, his jewelry never looks crowded for space. The images are perfectly spaced, leaving room for every dragonfly, swirl, or corn stalk to stand out on its own. He credits his petroglyph-inspired jewelry to images from Chaco Canyon.

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Sanchez was born in 1969 and had an entirely different career plan. He came to Fort Lewis College in Durango to study Sports Medicine. During that time, he was encouraged by his well-known brother-in-law, Myron Panteah (1966-2016), to take up silversmithing. He made a right turn and became one of the top Native American jewelers, winning awards at the Gallup Ceremonial, the Red Earth Show, the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the Navajo Nation Fair.

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He lives in Gallup with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. It’s a lucky day for us when he visits Durango with some inspiring jewelry.