ABOUT THE ARTIST:

"KIRK SMITH"s jewelry is probably the most collected from any artist in passing..His pieces,now more than ever, are being purchased by the connoisseurs of Native American jewelry & going into collectors possessions..His pieces have always had high recognition,but definitely more so,since his unfortunate passing in Sept.2012 & like anybody that had a reputable name like Kirk, once their jewelry goes into collector's hands,they are gone..His pieces have & will always have 'Investment/Museum/Collector's Quality"..And this magnificent ring is a fine example of his earlier works!

He started in the 60's from working & learning silversmithing from his Grandfather & in '72 went out on his own after working for clothes & shoes,to helping his uncle do sand cast pieces.But it wasn't until he hooked up with brother~in ~law"Harry Morgan" in the 80's,that he really started paying attention to design & his career started taking off...Harry had a big name & Kirk said, "he wanted to be one of those people"..It was Harry however,who was the innovator of creating jewelry that had an 'Old Pawn,"Vintage Revival,Classic 1930's style that Kirk learned from & ended up surpassing him with the style that now,many of todays modern day Navajo silversmith's have jumped on the band wagon doing & repeated Kirk's style giving their jewelry a very old pawn look that's heavily oxidized as if the jewelry was at least 50~100 years old..

Being the kindest man,with a huge heart,believed in giving back & went on to teach others like Anthony Skeets,the Martinez family,Fred & Dean Brown,so in return,they could help their families & to take the money from sales,to help others..His Grandfather once told him"When you leave something here,your name will always be here" & that he did.His work will always be remembered & cherished..

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THE RING:

Having a masculine aesthetic, this ring is designed for the "manly-man"..Being a man himself,Kirk instinctively knew the type of jewelry men loved to wear & this ring is a great example.

Precisely made with a fine cut of natural Pilot Mountain turquoise,this ring screams "Navajo" in design..The turquoise is quite large & has a gorgeous teal color to it,with rich golden brown/dark brown matrix running through it.It sits is a super fine hand made serrated bezel that you don't see that often..Usually the teeth aren't as fine as what's in this..Little beads of stering sit at the north & south end of the ring..The face sits on a tri-split shank & the shanks separation on the sides is covered by wide fan shields.

This ring was made sometime in the 80's back in Kirks earlier days when he used his "KS" hallmark.He changed his hallmark as time went on & up to the time of his death he used "Kirk Smith" in script for his hallmark.

This is a real keeper & can't help but look attractive on any man's hand that wears it!