A PERSONAL WORD:

Having a jeweler’s background where precise workmanship was literally pounded into me, I have learned over the decades to recognize exceptional workmanship the moment I see it. With this depth of experience, my eye immediately tells me who needs further training, who truly “has it and gets it,” and who is likely to be regarded as a master artisan or even, if they have a ways to go. That same experience also allows me to sense the pouring of love and time an artist invests in a piece — as if each work were created to be showcased in a museum or maybe even to take first place at a juried event.

One of the first things I take into consideration is the year the piece was made and what tools would have been available during that period. I then examine the work closely to judge how skillfully the piece was executed given the limited tools and materials the maker had. Were commercial tools readily obtainable, or did the artisan have to make their own tools to complete the work? When you reflect on the constraints those artists faced at the time and then look at how astonishingly precise and PERFECT these earrings are—almost as if they had access to modern equipment—it really makes you pause and wonder how their artistry may have evolved if they were alive and working with today’s tools and technologies!

THE EARRINGS:

These highly collectible Zuni earrings literally have everything I hope to find when out scouting for jewelry to resell. Being shy of just 1” round, the impeccable workmanship they’re made with, definitely outshines and over rides their small understated size!

What impresses me most is how even and precise each cut’s size and shape are, and how the stones all sit at the same height — a level of exactness that clearly required a GIFTED AND EXCELLENT eye. This attention to detail is one of the main factors that contribute to their uniform size. You don’t often encounter this sort of perfection, especially considering the limited tools they likely had available, even compared with today’s technology. It’s possible these pieces were made specifically for a loved family member, though I can’t say for sure. All I can really see and feel is how exceptionally special they were made.

The turquoise is of course natural & is validated by the color change in the stones. They are entirely made with extremely tiny 2.5 mm x 1 mm pear cuts of NATURAL turquoise (Which was the only thing available back in this time period) If you zoom in on the photos, you’ll see how the turquoise has deepened in color on one earring, which tells you that the remaining are a higher quality, less porous turquoise that are a "Harder" grade & in turquoise, the harder the turquoise, the higher the quality & the higher the quality, the less the color changes over time & doesn't need to be stabilized in order for the lapidarian to cut them.

CONVERTING TO POSTS:

If you wear screw backs, then these are definitely worth wearing.. If you don't wear screw backs, you have an option to turn them into a post. These can be converted to posts, but I would highly recommend finding a ‘Laser Jeweler’ to do the work. They are not the easiest to find, but the advantage is, (as opposed to your everyday, regular type jeweler) is that they don’t use heat in order to solder, as well as the stones will be left in tact & you don’t lose any valuable patina. Because a regular jeweler would have to use heat in order solder a post on, they would have to remove all the stones (Bezels may be destroyed after that and they charge for each stone removal) plus you’ll lose all the patina. So a Laser is the best way to go!! (This is a service I don’t provide & you would have to provide.)

IN THE LAST PHOTO IS A PIN I WILL BE POSTING & WILL BE LISTED UNDER THE ‘PIN -BROOCH’ CATEGORY WHEN I DO. SO PLEASE CHECK BACK!

ARTIST: Unknown

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Zuni Pueblo, NM

CIRCA MADE: 1940-1950

METAL: Sterling (Professionally tested)-Mechanism marked “Sterling’

FINISH: Warm Patina

MEASUREMENT: About 7/8” Round (20 mm)

COMBINED WEIGHT: 5.5 Grams

STONE: Natural Turquoise

CUTS: Pear

CUT SIZE: 2.5 mm x 1 mm (Super tiny!)

BEZEL: Serrated

EAR STYLE: Screw Back

CONDITION: EXCELLENT Well kept condition-The screw back shape is not bent & are in original condition, like they were made today! Warm natural patina, no stones are loose ,missing, cracked & are securely in their bezels. Some cuts have changed from blue to a deep green due to time & body oils.

Come Gift Boxed

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:
*****I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try to give you photos that are 'realistic in color.. Please understand that all screen monitors are different, so the materials can look brighter (or duller) ,more intense or less intense from one computer/phone to the next.

In order to give you close up photos so I can provide you with all the finer detail, the photos can tend to make the item look GIGANTIC & everything is more magnified & exaggerated than in actuality. When you get them in hand, you do not notice as much, as what looks more extreme in the photos. So to get an accurate idea of how big these are, please pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements.