THE EARRINGS:
These fabulously designed, ancient prehistoric–inspired mosaic Thunderbird earrings are part of Warren’s “Ancestral Puebloan Series.” In this collection, Warren brings together the historical and ancestral knowledge he has gathered through oral history and study. He leads us on a journey through time with designs that echo the mosaic jewelry his ancestors from the Chaco Canyon–Mesa Verde region may have worn. Warren paid meticulous attention to every small detail, working to keep these earrings as historically faithful to the original era as possible (approximately 1100–1200 CE).

Each pair was deliberately made to look as if they had been unearthed from an old Southwestern archaeological site. Set atop baked melon shell—which mellows the shell from a peachy hue to a soft, creamy white—are very raw, irregular, rough cuts of blue Kingman turquoise that were intentionally left imperfect rather than being precisely or perfectly cut, since at that period of time they didn’t have the advanced tools and techniques we use today, giving each earring a distinct, historic character and natural charm.

If you look closely, you’ll even notice the hand-cut tab dangles are connected to the Thunderbird base by way of string — exactly how Puebloan artisans traditionally linked components long before metal jump rings were used. Be sure to also view the backside of each pair to appreciate the workmanship fully. You’ll see they are tied off on the backside for added security.

Playing a crucial and important role is the skill of “Lapidary Work” which this art form highlights the extraordinary beauty and exceptional skill involved in carefully cutting and shaping every single material.

IF YOU ZOOM IN ON THE 2nd TO THE LAST PHOTO,YOU’LL SEE 2 MORE PAIRS THAT ARE LISTED! THESE ARE DESIGNED WITH PIPESTONE (DESIGN 1) AND RED APPLE CORAL (DESIGN 2)

ALSO IN THE LAST PHOTO,I CARRY THIS SAME DESIGN WITH A 'JACLA' DANGLE! BOTH DESIGNS ARE LISTED UNDER THIS SAME “EARRINGS 3” CATEGORY.
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ON BOTH:

ARTIST: WARREN NIETO MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLATA DE SANTA FE JEWELRY

TRIBE: KEWA PUEBLO VILLAGE (SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO)

AVERAGE TAB DANGLE SIZE: 15 mm x 8.5 mm (5/8" X 3/8”- SOME ARE SMALLER,WHILE OTHERS ARE SLIGHTLY LARGER)

MOSAIC INLAID ATOP OF: MELON SHELL (BAKED TO CHANGE THE COLOR FROM ‘PEACHY’ TO ‘CREAMY WHITE’)

MATERIALS ON BOTH PAIRS: KINGMAN TURQUIOSE-MELON SHELL

METAL: STERLING EAR STEM

EAR STYLE: POSTS

TECHNIQUE: TOTALLY MADE BY HAND-LAPIDARY-MOSAIC INLAY-HAND MADE TAB DANGLES

HALLMARK: “WN”-ALONG WITH WARREN’S ‘KIVA STEP’ HALLMARK

COME GIFT BOXED
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DESIGN 1: (HAS 3 CUTS OF APPLE CORAL)

TOTAL MEASUREMENT: 2-5/8" TALL X 1-7/8” WIDE (LENGTH TAKEN TO THE LONGEST CENTER DANGLE)

COMBINED WEIGHT: 22.4 GRAMS

MATERIALS: KINGMAN TURQUIOSE-ORANGE APPLE CORAL-MELON SHELL
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DESIGN 2: (HAS HALF MOON AND CIRCLE SHAPE OF APPLE CORAL)

MEASUREMENT: ABOUT 2-3/4” X 1-3/4" (LENGTH IS TAKEN TO THE LONGEST CENTER DANGLE)

COMBINED WEIGHT: 21.5 GRAMS

MATERIALS: KINGMAN TURQUIOSE -ORANGE APPLE CORAL-MELON SHELL
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PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:
I am not a professional photographer, but I do try to do my best at giving you accuracy in color. Warmer toned pieces & especially anything with yellow,(oranges, green) can sometimes be challenging, so this color can come up more vibrant & seriously saturated or even a tad duller. So please take this into consideration & go through all the photos to see any variation.

In order to give you close up photos so I can provide you with all the detail, photos can tend to make the item look GIGANTIC & everything is more magnified than in actuality. To get an idea of the size, you can view the photos showing them on the ear or if you have a measuring tape ,please pull it out & then compare everything to the measurements I provided you with..

A PERSONAL WORD ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Everything that Kewa Puebloan artist Warren Nieto creates emanates directly from his rich Ancestral Puebloan roots. Living in a modern world has never let Warren lose sight of all the traditions of the past.. He is one who lives & breathes his ancestral upbringing & it's the 'stories' that are passed down with each generation that are incorporated into everything he makes in today's modern world...Warren's Puebloan historical ancestry is passed on orally, with the rest being learned from the ancient walls inside the dwellings that were chiseled on the rocks of Chaco Canyon.. It's these stories that are told of Pueblo life through a mosaic painting done in stones & shells that carry into his work & separates him from other artists.