Pair of Diamond Shaped Shadow Box Earrings [SOLD]

Indian trader, C. G. Wallace, was very influential at Zuni Pueblo in encouraging the artisans to make stone fetishes and work in the field of lapidary jewelry.  The Zuni artisan would cut the stones and, in some instances, Diné jewelers would mount them in silver jewelry. Wallace often was the middle man between the two tribes.

This pair of earrings features very small and beautifully cut turquoise cabs, mounted in serrated bezels and attached to a silver backing that is surrounded by a silver box, known as shadowbox.  Today, many Zuni also practice silversmithing so it is not often possible to tell if a piece is a Zuni creation or a Zuni/Diné joint effort.

Condition: this Pair of Diamond Shaped Shadow Box Earrings is in very good condition. The silver sheet backing has tarnished and could be professionally cleaned to provide more visibility to the turquoise.  We do not clean silver unless requested to do so.

Provenance: from the extensive vintage jewelry collection we received in August 2018 from a Colorado family.

Recommended Reading: Navajo and Pueblo Earrings 1850-1945 Collected by Robert V. Gallegos, by Robert Bauver, 2007