40's-50's Zuni Multi-stone Channel inlay brooch 2 1/8" tall x 1 1/8" wide 12.1 grams.
Channel inlay is a distinctive jewelry technique closely associated with Native
American people of the Southwest, particularly jewelers of Zuni Pueblo. When
creating channel inlay jewelry, artists set precisely cut gemstones into
pre-formed silver channels. The technique allows artists to use colorful
combinations of gemstones in complex and creative patterns. Channel inlay
requires masterful silversmithing and lapidary skills and is utilized by Native
American jewelers to create magnificent jewelry pieces recognized for their
craftsmanship and beauty as art.
