Sonoran Gold Dangle Earrings

Traditional Southwest jewelry handmade by Silversmith Chad Barela

Sold Out Held in a private collection

Taken with this one? A piece in its spirit can still be made for you.

A pair of hand-wrought sterling silver two-tier drop earrings featuring Sonoran Gold turquoise, each stone a bright lime-green face veined with golden matrix. The first tier is a stamped rectangular stud, dressed with a sunburst stamp at its center and scalloped edges, posted directly to the ear. Suspended below, the second tier is a shaped teardrop frame set with an oval Sonoran Gold stone in a serrated bezel, the frame spreading into a pair of stamped leaf or feather cutouts at the base. Finished in a matte, understated silver that lets the stamp work and the vivid green stones do the heavy lifting.

Hand-wroughtMatte finish

Date Made

2023

Stone

Sonoran Gold Turquoise

Metal

Sterling silver

Drop

N/A

Stone

Sonoran Gold

Mine

Campitos Mountain

Origin

Cananea, Sonora, Mexico

Mine Status

Active

Stone Story

Sonoran Gold is one of the newer stones to enter the turquoise market, first surfacing around 2019 as a byproduct of copper mining at Campitos Mountain near Cananea in northern Sonora, Mexico. Unlike most turquoise, which forms in veins within host rock, Sonoran Gold occurs as clay-coated nuggets — a geological distinction that gives each stone its own character. The color palette is what sets it apart. A single stone can shift from aqua blue to lime green to bright green, blending across the surface like watercolor. A golden to brown spiderweb matrix runs through it, framing those vivid hues and adding depth. It's expressive material.

Second generation silversmith making heirloom quality jewelry true to Southwest tradition for over a decade. Chad's family has more than 200 years of history in New Mexico and you can see that heritage in his work.

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