ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Born, raised & presently residing on the Navajo reservation in the town of To’hajiilee,(Toe-hah-jah-lee) NM, Navajo artisan Dakota Willie was born to make jewelry. And when you got the last name "Willie" & your father is RONNIE WILLIE, there's no way you can escape the art of creating jewelry, because just about everyone in the family makes jewelry & all have made a name for themselves in the industry & are known worldwide. (See my Ronnie Willie, Tawny Willie (Cruz), Cooper Willie,Shaminika Willie & Rudy Willie listings who are just a few of Dakotas cousins & the latter being his uncle.)

Dakota learned like many Navajo children learn & whether it's the parents, the uncles, aunts or grandparents, in Dakota's case it was his father Ronnie Willie (See my listings) & his mother who took Dakota under their wing when he was only 8 years old & has now been making jewelry for 23 years.

Dakota is an "Artist" & not just in jewelry design, he also spends his time as a clothing fashion designer, loves to paint & loves doing anything that's artistic & creative..He specializes in traditional Navajo jewelry & many are made with a contemporary edginess..

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THE NECKLACE:
This necklace is made with an understated look, that beautifully displays the Spiny Oyster heart & 2 Spiny shell oval accenting cuts .

Extending upward from the smaller oval cuts is a time consuming hand made chain! Link by link, each link was impressively made by the hands of Dakota & I think it's knowing that this is hand made is what really dominates the necklace & deserves appreciation for the time it took to make! With so many things being mass produced & commercially made for artists to go out & quickly buy truthfully takes away the 'artisan-hand made" factor..So when I see a chain made BY hand, gives me that much more appreciation & respect for the artist..

The chain works as an extender,so you can adjust this by putting the hook anywhere within the chain to wear it higher!.

It is light in weight,so if you're one who loves to keep it simple & want to feel no weight on the neck,you will love this piece!! It's super easy to wear! You can wear this day OR night!

Would make a fabulous present for just about any age group! (From teen to elderly) and would make a wonderful "Say it with Love" present to one you love!!

I do want to mention that the price is dictated not on the amount of materials, nor the weight, but the time it took to make.