Nepenthes Woman Los Angeles presents a selection of Native American jewelry handcrafted in New Mexico. The pieces vary in form, technique, and material, carrying forward a tradition that reflects the history and artistry of the Southwest.
Jewelry-making in this region predates recorded history. Early makers shaped turquoise, shell, bone, and stone into personal adornment, with the Ancestral Puebloans serving as a central link in turquoise trade routes that reached from the Pacific Northwest down into Central America.
Silversmithing arrived later. The Spanish introduced metalworking to the Southwest, and by the mid-19th century Navajo and Zuni artisans had developed their own approach to silver jewelry. Some of the first pieces resembled the hammered and engraved horse tack used by Spanish riders. Turquoise began appearing in silverwork around 1880. By the early 20th century, artisans were producing more complex forms, such as concho belts and squash blossom necklaces.
The squash blossom necklace, with its crescent-shaped naja and fluted blossoms, draws upon Native American, Spanish, and Mexican influences. The concho motif, familiar across belt buckles and rings, traces its lineage to the silver hair plates once worn by the Great Lakes and Plains tribes.
Each tribal tradition carries distinct characteristics.
Navajo jewelry is typically silver-forward, with large stones and deep hand-stamped patterns.
Zuni jewelry focuses on stonework, either in tightly arranged clusters or precise mosaic inlay.
Hopi jewelry is often made through an overlay technique, in which cut silver designs sit atop darkened backgrounds, creating clean, symbolic forms.
Much of the work continues to rely on traditional casting methods.
Sand casting uses carved sandstone molds to form bold, substantial shapes.
Tufa casting employs porous volcanic stone, leaving a textured surface that marks the piece with the impression of its mold.
Hand-rolled silver beads, often known as Navajo Pearls, represent another enduring practice. Flat discs of silver are shaped, soldered, filed, and polished into matching spheres. A single strand can take many hours of concentrated work.
Non-silver jewelry also plays a significant role. Heishi beads, associated closely with Santo Domingo Pueblo artisans, are among the oldest forms of jewelry in the region. Shell or stone is sliced, drilled, strung, and then ground into uniform discs, a process that can require weeks to complete one necklace.
Among the makers represented at Nepenthes Woman Los Angeles are works by Gary and Sunshine Reeves. Gary Reeves, who began silversmithing in the 1970s, became known for his finely engraved designs and discerning use of turquoise. His brother, Sunshine Reeves, continues this lineage through his own deeply stamped silverwork.
Each piece reflects both continuity and variation. The jewelry carries the weight of place and memory, while remaining entirely alive in the present. It is work that is meant to be worn, handled, collected, and passed forward.
Now available at Nepenthes Woman Los Angeles.