ABOUT THE ARTIST:

When I'm hunting for jewelry where it's a sure guarantee that the workmanship will be precise, I look to Ronald’s work.. One thing that has always impressed me about this Master Lapidarian, (Stone cutter) is the remarkable precision in which his pieces are made. His hands are SO exceptionally skilled, that you can see that type of workmanship in everything he creates, all driven by a single goal: to make each piece that’s beyond perfect, no matter the price, no matter the size! Ronald never strays from his approach, no matter how many years pass; he remains deeply rooted in and true to his Ancestral Puebloan traditions.

THE EARRINGS:

These Melon Shell heishi earrings are made primarily from materials traditionally associated with Kewa Pueblo jewelry. The heishi itself is impeccably cut in a 4mm to 4.5 mm size. They are smooth to the touch and if you run your fingers down the length of the earring, no where will you feel ‘ridges’. If you feel ridges, this means the beads are not cut evenly, since some are bigger, while others are smaller. THIS is what you’ll look for if you want to see how skilled a cutter is and is also the sign of an excellent lapidarian . This alone is the beauty of Ronald’s work & you’ll get nothing less from this artist!

Adding color & pizazz to the earrings, Ronald added accents of various colored “Hand Rolled” beads of Serpentine, Jet & Lapis that all range in size (See photo 5). Hand rolling is a technique where the artisan starts with the larger size rock, cuts it down to a more workable size & then bevels & shapes the stone over & over & over again, till the round bead is formed! So these are NOT store bought beads that have been restrung, but rather made at the hands of this master cutter! The earrings hang from a small sterling silver cone & ear wire.

Even though they are just under 4” long, but because they lack metal work, allows these to be very wearable on the lobes & are the perfect call for the woman who loves a Southwestern/Puebloan look, but without the weight that many come with, while still having a undeniable traditional Pueblo feel!

INFO

ARTIST: RONALD CHAVEZ

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: KEWA PUEBLO VILLAGE,NM

LENGTH: 3-7/8”

BEAD SIZE: GRADUATES FROM AS SMALL AS 4 MM ROUND TO AS BIG AS 4.5 MM ROUND.

MATERIAL: MELON SHELL HEISHI-SERPENTINE-BLACK JET-LAPIS

COMBINED WEIGHT: 9.3 GRAMS

Comes gift boxed.
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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. Please be aware however that each monitor also plays a role in how they look, while some show the item to be more vivid, while others seem more dull.

To give you close up photos to show the detail, pictures tend to make the item appear GIGANTIC & everything is magnified than in actuality. So to get an accurate idea of how big these are, please either check them out being worn to get a rough idea (photos) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements in the photos..