D & V Dewa Zuni Turquoise on Silver Bolo Base

Antique & Vintage Jewelry : Vintage : Silver, Sterling : Dewa

 

Don Dewa began making jewelry in 1970, mostly small cluster pieces. About 1990, Don learned mosaic inlay from his mother-in-law, Lorretta Quam Eriacho, and has become an absolute master at mosaic and channel inlay, and has incorporated his trademark sunface "spinner" design in bracelets, rings, bolos and pendants. His work is published in many books on Zuni jewelry, Zuni - The Art and the People, Vol. 2, and Zuni: A Village of Silversmiths, University of New Mexico Press, to name a couple.

This is a piece from his beginning works, a cluster base for either a ring or a bolo tie with one 1/8" center circlet and 22 baguettes (that are ~ 5/16" long) of turquoise ranging in color from a deep jade green to a robin's egg blue. The piece is about 1 and 7/8" long overall, and not quite 1.25" wide.

The D & V DEWA stamp is on the top of the back, with ZUNI stamped toward the bottom. This was either a bolo or a ring at one time, and could easily be redone as either of those, or changed into a pin, necklace, or AWESOME cowboy or cowgirl hat band instead.

Mr. Dewa's new works sell in the thousands, this is much more affordably priced for a highly collectible piece.

Item ID: JM-001