Kewa Puebloan Artist- JOLENE BIRD - OUTRAGEOUSLY GORGEOUS! Diamond Shape - Kingman Turquoise -Hand Cut Slab Earrings with Hand Cut / Shaped Turquoise Dangles! WOW!
Kewa Puebloan Artist- JOLENE BIRD - OUTRAGEOUSLY GORGEOUS! Diamond Shape - Kingman Turquoise -Hand Cut Slab Earrings with Hand Cut / Shaped Turquoise Dangles! WOW!
"ABOUT JOLENE" CAN BE READ AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LISTING!
THE EARRINGS:
Now THESE, are some "Killer" looking slab earrings & Jolene couldn't have made a more traditionally designed earring that she passionately took to a whole new level of WOW!!! Loving jewelry that you just don't see flooded in every gallery & in every online store, these are a pair that are "one of a kind" that Jolene made exclusively for me & literally poured all her artistic juices into! And to be honest, if one more pair was available, I would have grabbed a pair for myself!!
Made with Kingman turquoise where Jolene cut them by 'eye & feel' without the use of calipers for measuring, the large sized slabs were actually cut into a 'Square", but by turning them, they lay in a "Diamond" shape,which gives more length & width to this cut. And by laying the slab this way, gives more room for more fringy dangles which gives the earring a much more interesting vibe because of this! Drilled into the slab's perimeter,are sterling hooks so all the hand cut-tear drop dangles have something to securely hold on to.
She brought these to me with ear wires, but professionally speaking, I find that with a heavy earring, it's best to have them in a post earring rather than wires, which can put stress on the ear. (See weights below) So I added a pair of one of my small sterling studs that come from my store.(New) You can leave those in or change them out to any stud earring you may have on hand! Turquoise ones would also look good!
These are a SUPER showy statement earring & no doubt,you will hear some complements when you wear these!!!
A NOTE:
Because of their size, there is some weight to these.So please pay attention to the weights before purchasing. I do carry a product called "LOBE WONDERS" that is specifically made for heavy earrings. & can be found under “Women’s Jewelry” then in the drop down, click on “Other-Concho Belts Plus More”
SPECIFICS:
ARTIST: Jolene Bird made Exclusively for Plata de Santa Fe Jewelry
TRIBE: Kewa Pueblo-Santo Domingo Pueblo
METAL: Sterling
MATERIAL: Kingman Turquoise
MATERIAL CUTS: "Square" turned to lay in a "Diamond" shape-Tear Drop
TURQUOISE SLAB SIZE: 2-5/8" X 2-5/8"
DANGLE SIZE: 15 mm x 7 mm (Roughly 5/8" x 1/4")
MEASUREMENTS: 3-7/8" X 2-5/8" ( to center dangle)
COMBINED WEIGHT: 59.6 Grams (2.10 OZ.)
EAR CONNECTION: Posts
HALLMARK: She told me she hallmarked them,but when we looked,we couldn't find it.
Comes Gift Boxed
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MEET THE ARTIST: JOLENE BIRD
There's a reason why that with every Native American juried/judged event that Jolene attends, she will usually win either in "Best of Show, the big Grand Prize or comes in 1st place & when you see the unique type of work she puts out, you'll understand why! She has gone on to win awards for her amazing mosaic pots/vases & I have been honored at carrying many, which have all sold out.
Incorporating what has been passed down through oral history & from generation after generation, Jolene puts her own unique twists on things & pours her heart & soul into everything she puts her hands on & the judges for these Native American events are always left in disbelief because the items she brings to the table, are something you'll never see among other Puebloan artists when it comes to the "Art of Mosaic or for Puebloan Jewelry".
I believe with Jolene, it's not about just being another Puebloan mosaic artist, but it's the way & WHAT she mosaics! I have to laugh sometimes when I say,"There's nothing that Jolene won't turn it into a mosaic piece! She has even gone on to making a chess set, mosaic sunglasses, mosaic chairs and even went as far as fully mosaic inlaying a Gibson guitar!! You name it, Jolene will mosaic it!
The young Jolene learned this art from her grandparents (who were also mosaic artists) but it was her Grandmother Anita, who told her to "seek a new direction" & that is when she went from 'traditional' & took a more "contemporary' approach by starting to design these very high end quality pieces, while gaining the respect of many Native American scholars. Moving forward, she has surpassed 100's of artists from the pueblo.
Jolene lives on the Kewa Pueblo with her immediate family, who she is now passing on everything she knows about this Ancestral Puebloan art form & works very closely with her artisan son Charles Bird, who happens to a real personal favorite of mine who also makes some INCREDIBLY designed jewelry!
Jolene's work is highly collectible & gives us a historical ancestral Puebloan past,but with a contemporary edginess !
