Jan Loco Sterling Silver Pin “Loco Coyote”

This sterling silver pin, playfully titled "Loco Coyote", is a refined nod to a beloved Southwestern era. It perfectly evokes the spirit of Santa Fe some twenty years ago, when the iconic howling coyote — often depicted with a colorful neck scarf — became a universal symbol of New Mexico's charm. Jan Loco's interpretation elevates this pop-culture symbol into an elegant, legacy piece of wearable art.

The pin features a beautiful juxtaposition of minimalist form and sacred symbolism of a smooth, brushed sterling surface defined by clean scoring along the feet and tail, a simple circle for the eye and nose, and a single, deeply stamped Spirit of the Rock cross on the coyote's body. Inscribed by the artist's hand: "Apache handmade, J. Loco, 'Loco Coyote' sterling."

Jan Loco's entry into the art world is one of the most compelling narratives in contemporary Native jewelry. Adopted at a young age, she was not informed of her Apache ancestry until adulthood. Upon discovering she was the great-granddaughter of Chief Loco — one of the last Apache leaders, imprisoned by the U.S. Government in 1886 — she immersed herself in the history, mysticism, and legends of her heritage.

In the 1980s, she began channeling this history into deeply symbolic jewelry. Because Jan Loco left New Mexico some years ago and is no longer producing jewelry, her pieces have become highly sought, finite treasures on the secondary market.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: fthis Jan Loco Sterling Silver Pin "Loco Coyote" is rom the collection of a resident of California

Recommended Reading: Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest by Sarah Peabody and William Turnbaugh

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Apache American Indians, Jan Loco