ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Extremely kind, hard working, respectful and a woman of integrity, Michelle is one of those people that when you meet her, you immediately connect as if you've known her a lifetime. Born in Gallup, NM in 1971 into a family of silversmiths, with a few being some well known artisans that include Lee and Raymond Yazzie & Mary Marie Lincoln (Marie Yazzie).. It was not only the latter (Mary) who inspired & taught the young 13 year old Michelle, but she also learned from her Grandmother Elsie Yazzie and her aunts, Shirley Johnson & Lola Daw. These women are the ones who took Michelle under their wing & gave Michelle her start, by teaching her the ropes in knowing how to cut the sterling, dome and file, solder, string and then buff. She's come along way since then & is now recognized in the industry at being one of the best & is now considered to be at a " "MASTER " level when it comes to her perfectly made-authentic Navajo Pearl necklaces.

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ABOUT AUTHENTIC NAVAJO PEARLS:

Little do people know how much time that's involved to make these & not only are these particular ones made with their usual time consuming process, but Michelle went on to HAND STAMPED each & every one, which adds to that much more time and labor! Making "Real" Navajo Pearls that are made by actual NAVAJO ARTISTS, take on an intensive lengthy process & are much more valuable because of the time that goes into making them. And in today's market there are oxidized sterling beaded necklaces that are being sold as “Navajo Pearls” & also being sold for much cheaper prices & are nothing but a commercial-machine made oxidized sterling bead that are coming from India rather than ones made entirely by the hands of Navajo silversmiths. Michelle's are the real deal & what are called "AUTHENTIC" Navajo "Pearls".. Also the price can be a clue as to what's hand made & what's not!

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DESCRIPTION:

Navajo Pearl necklaces are a true "must have" to any southwestern jewelry collection & one that pairs well, especially with jewelry with this same finishing. These make a great 'go-to' necklace since you can wear them with anything, anytime, anywhere!

Each necklace choice is made the same way, with the same size beads from end to end, but the only thing that changes, is the length of each. They are strung with a PERFECT graduation of sizes and no where do they break form..In other words,all the right sized beads are in their proper place in order for the necklace to lay right..

I have never been one to suggest this type of NP necklace to be used with a pendant since the largest sized beads at the bottom center get hidden. And with this type where the large ones are in the front, they are what you would call important to the design, so you want to show them off!! So this is the type that should be worn alone without pendants. I always suggest using the more evenly matched millimeter sized beaded ones for pendants. But this is my professional opinion & you can do whatever you feel comfortable with.

FYI:

**All Navajo Pearl beads are hollow, with some being light in weight, while others are heavy. The weight of a Navajo Pearl necklace is determined by the gauge of sterling that the artist chose to work with & then of course how big the bead is & the length (More beads)** These however, do have some weight because of the gauge she used.

**You can find more of Michelle's Navajo Pearl necklaces by clicking on the "NAVAJO PEARL' category **These however are the only 3 that I carry of hers that are graduated in bead size & are completely hand stamped from end to end.**