Jewelry set with opal

Master lapidaries of the Southwest — Zuni needlepoint, petit point, channel inlay, and carved fetishes where the stone, not the silver, leads.

Zuni artistry is inseparable from Zuni religious and communal life. The animal forms rendered in fetish carving correspond to the directional guardians and beings of A:shiwi cosmology — the six directions, each with its color and its protector — and fetishes hold a place in Zuni spiritual practice that long predates their making for sale. The pieces offered to the public are made with care to honor, rather than expose, what remains sacred.

• Opal

  Delicate and water-sensitive — protect it from knocks, sudden temperature changes, and prolonged moisture.

• Sterling silver

  Buff with a soft polishing cloth — leaving intentional oxidation intact — and store airtight to slow tarnish.

• Last on, first off

  Put your piece on after fragrance, lotion, and hairspray — and take it off before water, sleep, and sport.

• Store with care

  Keep each piece in its own soft pouch, away from direct sun and damp, so softer stones never meet harder ones.