Description
Heavy 1970‘s Art Tafoya Yaqui Sterling high grade turquoise squash blossom necklace 26" long, other weight and measurements in pics. No issues, just didn‘t have time to properly photograph it.
Few silversmiths match the power and artistry of Art Tafoya. He specializes in silver. Hammered silver. The old way. Art Tafoya carries on that tradition of the early masters, for he makes his own stamps and dies. Arts clear and crisp stamp work speaks of skill and talent born of that tradition. Thick silver, hammered like leather, only deeper, brisk, clear and lovely.Art Tafoya, silversmith and artist, learned the basics of silversmithing at the age to twelve from a blacksmith at a riding stable near his home. Later he learned the art of making handmade stamps and dies from Carlos White Eagle, a former student of the legendary Navajo silversmith Fred Peshlakai. Art has made an exhaustive study of Fred Peshlakais stamps and is an expert at identifying even unsigned work by this master. All of Arts stamps and dies are his own creations. He specializes in hand stamped old-style jewelry reminiscent of Peshlakais, but definitely all of his own.His original jewelry is highly sought after by collectors worldwide. He was a silversmith in residence at The Turquoise Shop at Knotts Berry Farm in California for twenty-five years before relocating to New Mexico. His work may be found in the permanent collection of the Albuquerque Museum, the Grove Encyclopedia of American Art and his work is included in the book Navajo Silversmith Fred Peshlakai, His Life and Art.
All precious metals are tested and guaranteed. A Native American jewelry piece referred to as "silver" or "ingot" is guaranteed to be at least 90% silver. I rarely use the word "sterling" when referring to older Native American silver or really any older silver jewelry as silver contents vary and "sterling" is 92.5% silver. No older jewelry is going to be exactly 92.5% silver, some a little over, some a little under. It wasn‘t an exact thing with handmade jewelry. I‘ve seen thousands of pieces xrf‘d to prove this. Bracelets are photographed on a 6" women‘s wrist.
