Mosaic Inlay Shell Earrings

Kewa Pueblo jeweler, Lupita Calabaza, inlaid natural sky blue turquoise and shimmering abalone onto orange shells.  A narrow bar of sterling silver lies underneath the turquoise and abalone.  A perfect blend of sky and water.  They dangle from sterling silver wires.

Size: 2.25" H x 1" W - includes wires

The people of Kewa Pueblo in New Mexico have been making these types of earrings for hundreds of years.  They would chip out the stone and shape it by rubbing it on sandstone for many hours and use tree pitch as an adhesive.  The shells were traded for by people living along the Sea of Cortez.