Sterling and 18K Gold Gemstone Pin by Mike Bird

Mike Bird-Romero is a highly revered, largely self-taught artist recognized as a "Living Treasure" by the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, Santa Fe. His work bridges the gap between historical Pueblo and Dine traditions and a clean, bold, sculptural contemporary aesthetic. 

This pin was entirely hand-fabricated. The silver backplate features a distinctive, scalloped, "cloud-like" edge that frames the heart. The gemstone is secured by a flawless bezel, surrounded by individually applied, heavy silver-and-gold droplets or beads (often called a "raindrop" border), which draws focus inward to the dramatic patterns of the agate. It's an incredible example of his masterful eye for stone-matching and precision metalwork. 

The gemstone has that organic, fossilized warmth of a material that is highly characteristic of dramatic, high-grade picture agate or dendritic jasper. The stone displays a magnificent, sharp, spiderweb-like black fracturing embedded in a stark white-and-grey field, shifting into rich, warm earth tones (ochre and brown) at the bottom.

This piece was entirely hand-fabricated. The silver backplate features a distinctive, scalloped, "cloud-like" edge that frames the heart. The gemstone is secured by a flawless bezel, surrounded by individually applied, heavy silver-and-gold droplets or beads (often called a "raindrop" border), which draws focus inward to the dramatic patterns of the agate.

Mike Bird-Romero is celebrated for personally cutting and polishing his own gemstones, frequently hunting out unusual, highly graphic, and bold materials (like agates, onyx, and specialized jaspers) rather than sticking strictly to traditional turquoise. He chooses stones that function almost like abstract landscape paintings, letting the natural veining dictate the visual story of the jewelry piece.

It's an incredible, collector-quality example of his masterful eye for stone-matching and precision metalwork. This pin is not just jewelry; it is a wearable piece of Pueblo art history

What sets Mike Bird-Romero apart is his fierce commitment to the arduous, traditional methods of old-time Pueblo silversmiths. Nothing is pre-fabricated. For this piece and others, every single step of the process is done entirely by hand.

Born into a lineage of profound talent at San Juan Pueblo (now Ohkay Owingeh), Mike was raised by a celebrated potter mother and a master textile artist grandmother. Emerging as a major, revolutionary force in Native American jewelry in the 1980s, his work bridges historic Pueblo soul with contemporary geometry.

A Note on Historical Provenance: Mike's deep connection to historic design was further fueled by his wife, Allison Bird, an acclaimed scholar. Her seminal 1992 book, Heart of the Dragonfly: Historical Development of the Cross Necklaces of the Pueblo and Navajo Peoples (published by Adobe Gallery), inspired Mike to create a legendary series of historic-style cross necklaces.

Please contact us for further details on adding this rare Bird-Romero piece to your collection.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Sterling and 18K Gold Gemstone Pin by Mike Bird is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: FINE INDIAN JEWELRY OF THE SOUTHWEST: The Millicent Rogers Museum Collection by Shelby Tisdale, Ph.D.

TAGS: Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (San Juan), Southwest Indian Jewelry, Mike Bird-Romero