Zuni Natural Turquoise Half Hoop Earrings

Zuni jeweler, Malcolm Chavez, inlaid natural Sleeping Beauty turquoise into these sterling silver half hoop earrings.  The inlay process is channel inlay and there is more info below.

Size:  1" H x .25" W

Channel inlay jewelry is a process used extensively by Native American jewelers, particularly those in Zuni Pueblo.  Many other talented jewelers from other tribes in the Southwest also make channel inlay jewelry.  The metal channel, usually silver, is soldered onto the back to create the design.  Afterward, the stones are cut to fit into each section.  It is an exacting process which shows in the beauty of the work of the finished piece(s).