From Santo Domingo Pueblo (Kewa), Larry Pacheco was never known for traditional lapidary Santo Domingo Jewelry. He first came to the attention of jewelry collectors for what would generally be considered traditional Navajo jewelry.
Silver bead necklaces, known in the business as "Navajo Pearls," were Pacheco's trademark. He did them as well as anyone and set stones in traditional Navajo settings using top-quality material.
Later in his career, he began doing overlay work and created gold on silver storyteller jewelry before moving on to a completely different contemporary style. I like and appreciate that style, but I genuinely love and admire traditional work done with the exactness and precision that Larry did early in his career.
It is not easy to cut silver into disks, stamp them with an artist's eye, and then shape them into the exact size to fit a matching disk. Then, they are soldered together and finished to eliminate the seam. Larry is a master of creating disk-shaped beads that wear elegantly.
When someone was looking for a present for their wife or girlfriend, my mother used to tell them, "Every woman needs at least one strand of silver beads!" Many people took that advice, and I don't think they were ever disappointed in the reception!
Pacheco had a way of picking the perfect stones for the pendants he added to some of his bead strands. They were always natural, top-quality, attention-grabbing turquoise or sometimes another type of material.
I admire the artistry of his newer work but find myself drawn to the elegant and simplistic pieces we are featuring today. They came from a private collection that has been well cared for for over 30 years.
In addition to his work as a jeweler, Pacheco once served on the tribal council and traveled to the village from his studio in Solano Beach, California, to participate in traditional activities.
