Jan Loco Sterling Silver Spiral Pin [SOLD]

This pin is a highly sought piece reflecting the ancient symbolism of the high desert. The spiral is a universal motif used across the globe since antiquity, but for the Native people of the American Southwest, it carries a profound, life-giving meaning. To desert dwellers, the spiral honors and represents water — the ultimate source of life. Jan Loco's reverence for the natural world is beautifully manifested in this piece, where she has skillfully captured the fluid, eternal motion of water in solid sterling silver.

Jan Loco's jewelry designs are deeply rooted in the history of her people, incorporating motifs that reflect the heavens, Apache legends, and the native flora and fauna of her homeland.

To honor her ancestors, she famously committed to a grueling, entirely manual fabrication process: she refused to use power tools. Using only heavy-duty hand shears, she cut and formed the silver by hand. To achieve the unique, organic surface texture seen on some of her jewelry, she meticulously hammered the silver using a specially selected river rock. This pin reflects a highly polished smooth finish.

Because Jan Loco is no longer active in the jewelry-making world, her distinctive works have become a finite resource. They are eagerly sought by serious collectors of Native American art who recognize the value of her labor-intensive, tool-free legacy.

Condition: this pin is in excellent condition

Provenance: this Jan Loco Sterling Silver Spiral Pin is from 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, Jan Loco