Vidal Aragon (1923 - 2015)

A lifelong resident of Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo), Vidal Aragon translated pueblo life into intricate storyteller jewelry. Born in 1923, Aragon retired from silversmithing several years ago but not before attaining international renown for his inventive silver and gold overlay designs.  

Vidal Aragon learned the overlay technique in the 1930s when he was a student at the Santa Fe Indian School. Before inventing the storyteller jewelry, he experimented with tufa casting and other metalworking techniques. He briefly lived in Scottsdale AZ where he honed his skills as a shop smith. By the early 1940s, Vidal was already being recognized alongside such prominent smiths as Ambrose Roanhorse and Tom Burnsides for his innovative yet classical designs. Aragon found his true calling though when he began to translate his rich sense of the pueblo way of life into wearable stories, often full of his unique humor.

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