ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Numerous Navajo ribbon award winner Marian Nez, is from the town of Tohajiilee, New Mexico & happens to be the wife of Navajo silversmith, LEONARD NEZ, who also is very much known in the industry & it was Marian who taught Leonard, the art of making jewelry..

Little did Marian know that her fate was mapped out at becoming a silversmith, after all those years of watching her parents make jewelry, when one day she decided to solder some pieces while they went into town. That was the beginning of her new found love affair,which she'll always give thanks to them for, who then went on to teach Marian the art of making jewelry. She started in the late 70's in Albuquerque doing mass production work and designing individual pieces. But it wasn't until Gertrude Zachary Jewelry (Based in ABQ) entered some of Marian's jewelry in art shows which were then awarded first and second place ribbons.

In early 2000’s,she & her husband started our own jewelry business. But after her father passed from complication of diabetes, she decided to explore the health field to understand and educate herself about diabetes and help others. So she enrolled in Community Colleges where she became a Certified Community Health Worker, specializing in diabetes prevention with Native people. But while she was doing that, the passion for making jewelry still lingered, so she continues to only do jewelry part-time.

Whatever she creates, represent a tribute to her parents, who she is, and where she came from. Each piece that is created, comes from her humble heart and positive thoughts. Marian says "I want the person wearing my jewelry to know and feel the love that’s behind my work.”

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ABOUT EGYPTIAN TURQUOISE (PRINCE TURQUOISE)

Today's Egyptian Turquoise is still mined from the original, ancient mines of the Sinai Peninsula. Egyptian reverence for turquoise is evident in historical references and modern culture continues to honor the significance and sacred nature of turquoise. Egyptian turquoise was used by healers, royal families and is featured in some of the most iconic Egyptian artifacts known to humanity. Hard stone (Which relates to 'Quality" in turquoise) with rich color variations and strong red and golden matrixes, each stone is coming from the same mines that once supplied legendary Pharaohs and Kings. Sought after around the world, Egyptian Turquoise is favored by the most serious collectors.

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THE RING:

When you see this ring in hand, there are 2 major things that jump out & pull you in.. One is that you'll be able to see that this wasn't made by an 'average jeweler' or a "mediocre' artist, but rather it'll be quite obvious that it's made by someone whose been at it for decades and takes pride in their work. And 2: this has to be one of the FINEST cuts of turquoise that came out of Egypt! The lapidary is spectacular,(Stone cutting) the color is outstanding & how it sits much higher in it's bezel. It can remind you of an egg, it is perfectly & elegantly domed, while it shows it's brilliant blues & spiderwebbed matrix.

It's made in a tri-level-shallow shadow box design, where the outer perimeter is made of 1/2 round wire, the 2nd level displays precise saw work & then the high bezel sits low in a shadowbox.The face sits atop of a tapered shank that has corrugated lines right out side the face.

This will look extremely handsome on any man's finger & has enough of a top notch quality that can be passed on from generation to generation!

*** If you need this to be smaller or larger,this can be done by any professional-reputable jeweler.(This is a service that you would do) Since the bezel is smooth, rather that having a serrated bezel, makes it much easier for a jeweler who lives outside the southwest to do, in order to remove the stone(s) during the soldering process. Also another thing that is to one's advantage, is that Marian made the center of the shank smooth, without design. Meaning that if the shank had a stamped design throughout let's say, it would be harder to size,since you would lose the design during sizing. (see photo 7 on the ring mandrel) ***