Kewa Pueblo Mosaic Inlay Earrings

This style of mosaic with the inlay on the side is the signature style of Kewa Pueblo jeweler, Mary Louise Tafoya.  The are the same on the back as the front.   Stones include turquoise, sodalite, catlinite, spiny oyster shell, jet, lemon serpentine. They dangle from sterling silver wires.  More about mosaic inlay below.

Size: 1.675" H (including the wire) x .5" W

Jewelers from Kewa Pueblo have been creating mosaic inlay jewelry for over a thousand years.  Some of the ancient Kewa jewelry can seem quite modern in their designs.  The stones, and/or shell, are cut into shapes which are then put together like a puzzle on a backing.  The backing can be shell, jet, or other materials like records or sheets of plastic which was used during times when materials were hard to come by.  Prior to colonization and the use of metals in Native American jewelry making, the earrings were hung on handmade string.