A LITTLE ABOUT LEONARD:

To marry into a family of silversmith's,was a blessing waiting to happen for Leonard. Having spent his earlier days working as a heavy equipment operator, it wasn't however until his wife & her family had an inspirational impact on him that he started making jewelry. Setting 1000's of stones since then & even advanced to working in gold, Leonard has gone on to win the highest awards an artist can win at major juried awards.. He has a signature style of his own that immediately tells you who made the piece & once you become familiar with his work,you'll be able to recognize it each & every time. He offers the perfect marriage of tradition mixed with the contemporary. But no matter how contemporary his work is,his work will always have that "traditional undeniable Navajo" look. He is widely known for his cut out work,his work in heavy gauge metal,his use of premium natural stones,deep stampwork & chasing.

Born on the Navajo reservation in Arizona in 1956 & now resides in TóHajiilee,NM (Cañoncito Band of Navajos) which is just west of ABQ. & is apart of the Navajo nations. Leonard is a spiritual man who is guided by the higher powers that help him to create new designs & also ropes at the Rodeos,so he's also a real cowboy too! In fact,he was the 2010 Team Roping WORLD Champion for the NSPRA. His work is highly collectible & all you have do is say the name "Leonard Nez" & you will automatically think "TOP NOTCH" Native American Jewelry"!

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THE BUCKLE:

Only men know what men like & what better artist to give you a great looking-perfectly made belt buckle,but from a guy whose a cowboy & a man himself! And for you manly men,who are the type where "quality accessorizing" is important in order to complete your western style,then this buckle can't help but be a wonderful addition! This top notch buckle has everything that this master Navajo artisan is known for & when you get it in hand, will tell you WHY his jewelry is so much in demand!

One thing I want to start by saying,that by shopping online, one thing you don't get a feel of, is the weight of the piece until you get it in hand.Even though I never fail to give you the weight, the fact is, if you're not familiar or get an idea of what's considered heavy or what's considered a lighter weight,many don't have an idea because that's not the buyer's profession,nor job.It's the seller's.. It boils down to myself who deals with weights everyday to tell you what's a little lighter than usual or what's heavier than the usual. This buckle is the latter, based on Leonard using one of the heavier gauges that's offered in supply houses, while still being workable...My guess is it's probably about a 4 gauge(The lower the #,the heavier) & LITERALLY non-destructible & very masculine feeling!! It could possibly be a 2 gauge.(?)

Done in a high polished mirror finishing, Leonard used the base to build an inner square bezel that acts like a shadowbox for his signature cut out work..This right here,tells you whose work it is,since it's Leonard's signature style. Ever since I came across Leonard's work for the 1st time,(Which was years ago) this is the style he is & will always be known for. The cut out art is precisely sawed & sits perfect inside the heavy gauge square wire bezel.

Adding to it's pristine look,he used a PREMIUM grade of Mediterranean red Coral that is cut to perfection! Glossy & beautifully beveled, with absolutely NO flaw's whatsoever, it sits in a graduated tri-level designed bezel,while letting you know all the while,just who "the star of the show" is!! I would call the color a deep "Tomato Soup" color. There are 3 different bezels..The 1st that sits at the base is done with wire,the middle is one that he hand serrated & finally what actually embraces the coral,is your standard bezel.(see photo 4)

It has a quality that can be passed on from generation to generation! So whether your a Tucson or Santa Fe gallery owner,Texas Oilman or banker,or just one who loves a more casual look & wears nothing but denim & boots,this will definitely be a buckle that will say a lot about your tastes! This is not an 'over the top' sized buckle but rather one that says more for it's size than larger ones!!