Diné Pair of Silver and Coral Pendulum Style Earrings

Coral Radiance: A Pair of Silver Earrings by an Unknown Diné Silversmith

This pair of silver earrings, adorned with coral settings, is the work of an anonymous Diné silversmith. The earrings feature three small, domed natural coral gemstones, full of vibrant color and polished to perfection. Each gemstone is mounted on a precisely cut sheet silver strip, securely nestled within a silver bezel and encircled by silver wire.

The earrings are designed for pierced ears, with a single coral gemstone gracing the silver post, set against a blackened silver background. The three coral settings on the elongated pendant also float on a backdrop of blackened silver. The pendant is designed to swing in a pendulum-like motion, connected to the silver post with handmade silver loops, adding a dynamic element to the design.

Artists of the Navajo Nation, or Diné, are renowned for their many talents, particularly their exquisite jewelry. While silver and turquoise are quintessential elements in Diné jewelry, the incorporation of coral has been a successful innovation. This twentieth-century addition to the Diné's long-standing use of turquoise, however, may be short-lived due to restrictions on coral mining and the overharvesting and destruction of coral reefs due to global warming.

These elegant earrings, with their blend of traditional craftsmanship and innovative design, are indeed a worthy consideration for any jewelry connoisseur.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Diné Pair of Silver and Coral Pendulum Style Earrings is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Navajo and Pueblo Earrings 1850-1945 - Collected by Robert V. Gallegos, by Robert Bauver

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo