BA1358 turquoise and silver Tufa Cast ring

One of a Kind piece

Beautiful ring with a gorgeous Persian turquoise set on sterling silver.
 

This ring is made using an ancestral Navajo jewelry technique known as Tufa Cast:

The artist takes a mold of volcanic stone (tufa) and divides it into two parts. One part is carved with a motif of his choice, into which he pours molten silver. The second part covers this pattern and is firmly attached to the first. Once the silver has hardened, the piece is removed from the mold, which usually breaks, creating a unique piece. The resulting jewel has rough aspect clearly showing the asperity of the tufa.

Here, the artist has created two designs in his mold, framing the turquoise with a Kachina on one side and a corn plant on the other: 

- Kachinas are incarnations of the spiritual form. They are supernatural beings who provide a link with the divine. During certain ceremonies, they appear to the Natives, dancing and singing, in physical forms combining animal features and abstract figures.

- Corn is a very important symbol in Native culture, as it is one of the most precious foodstuffs. Corn alone is a symbol of a good harvest.

This ring is in sterling silver.

Proudly Navajo handmade in the USA.