Description
1970's Justin Morris Navajo Sterling Turquoise and coral pendant/necklace. 24"<br>necklace, 3" x 2.25" pendant all with no issues. 74.8 grams total.<br><br>Silversmiths Justin and Irene Morris began making jewelry over 50 years ago. At<br>that particular time in American History many Native Americans were turning to<br>art to bring in extra income to support their families (particularly those<br>without college educations); he got the idea from his Grandpa Bitchittti. Not<br>surprisingly, Grandpa proved to be right. In the mid sixties, Southwestern<br>Indian jewelry started to make its way into mainstream America, finding its way<br>across Sacs of Fifth Avenue Catalogs to featured articles in Arizona Highways.<br>Before Justin decided to take up silver, he was a instructional aide for the<br>Government at Dilcon Boarding School. Morris recalls Grandpa looking out for the<br>livelihood of the family and notes, "the idea (for me to become a silversmith)<br>was all Grandpa's...the learning (however) was all self-taught."<br><br>Over the next few years, Morris began to learn and refine the skilled trait of<br>not only fabricating jewelry from sheets of silver and turquoise but also<br>learned the art of marketing. He managed to establish--over the course of 50<br>years--a clientele that spanned from as close as Sedona, Arizona to as far away<br>as Frankfort, Germany. Also over the next few years would come Justin and<br>Irene's children, Charles, Luskey, Calamity, and Keturah who would also take up<br>silversmithing. Today, the business is a family affair and Justin accredits his<br>success to his children's participation in the business and the support of his<br>wife Irene, "(Everyone) They all helped out in the shop, (the children) ever<br>since they were small...working together has brought us closer together." And<br>from the looks of it has kept them together as well.<br><br>Being in the business for over 50 years hasn't however been without its hard<br>times. The Morrises, for business proposes, decided rather than continue to<br>wholesale to retailers to take the business directly to his customers through a<br>market place venue. In the early 90's Justin and his family decided to start to<br>explore these markets. The bonus of exploring markets provided the Morrises with<br>the opportunity that they very rarely had--to meet collectors of his jewelry.<br>These markets also allowed the Morris name to take their business to a wider<br>range of customers, enabling them to hone business according to their customer's<br>needs.<br><br>Over the past years Morris has been able to instinctively, wield his business<br>according to seasons and market places which at times--the family unanimously<br>have admitted--have been a hard study. Surprisingly, the heard times, the<br>Morrises admit, are what measure the high points, which for them were building<br>the family business name. And even in the dreariest of times, which Morrises<br>have confessed their share, they comment, "you keep your mind on the Creator,<br>and keep laughter close." The both of which have propelled his business forward<br>in to the unknown. Today they, the Morrises, together, continue to forge into<br>unknowable.
