A hand-tooled sterling silver squash blossom necklace with a tufa-cast turquoise Naja, styled against Southwest scenery. A hand-tooled sterling silver squash blossom necklace with a tufa-cast turquoise Naja, styled against Southwest scenery.

The Truth About the Squash Blossom Necklace

The most iconic necklace of the Southwest hides a surprising origin — the "blossom" is really a pomegranate, a symbol traced to Granada and 1492.

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One-of-a-kind sterling silver bolo ties set with Royston turquoise, in the Southwest tradition. One-of-a-kind sterling silver bolo ties set with Royston turquoise, in the Southwest tradition.

The Legend of the Bolo Tie

As the legend goes, a windblown hat in 1940s Arizona led silversmith Victor Cedarstaff to the first bolo tie — and to the name that stuck. The story behind a Southwest staple.

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Tufa-cast sterling silver cuffs beside the hand-carved tufa mold they were cast in — traditional Southwest tufa casting. Tufa-cast sterling silver cuffs beside the hand-carved tufa mold they were cast in — traditional Southwest tufa casting.

Tufa Casting — An American Tradition

Carving a design into volcanic ash stone and pouring molten silver by hand — is one of the oldest silversmithing traditions in the Southwest. Here's how it works, where it came from, and why no two...

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An array of handmade Southwest silver jewelry — cuffs, rings, and a pendant, including one-of-a-kind pieces. An array of handmade Southwest silver jewelry — cuffs, rings, and a pendant, including one-of-a-kind pieces.

More Than Metal

Most people look at Southwest jewelry and have no idea what they're actually holding. Every mark is a decision. Every stamp is a fingerprint. Every piece tells a story.

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A traditional silversmithing setup staged on a New Mexico sand dune — Southwest silverwork in a desert landscape. A traditional silversmithing setup staged on a New Mexico sand dune — Southwest silverwork in a desert landscape.

The Origins of Southwest Silversmithing

Contrary to what many people think, silversmithing is not native to the American Indian. Metal working in general was introduced to the Navajo people by the…

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White Buffalo stone temple rings in sterling silver — stark white with a black matrix, from the single Nevada source. White Buffalo stone temple rings in sterling silver — stark white with a black matrix, from the single Nevada source.

The Truth About White Buffalo

Thought of by many as turquoise, it’s technically not. It was originally called “White Buffalo Turquoise” by those who discovered it...

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