Beyond turquoise and coral, Native American jewelers draw upon a remarkable palette of secondary stones — Afghan lapis lazuli traded across 6,000 years of human commerce, spiny oyster shell graded from fiery orange to royal purple, gaspeite, sugilite, charoite, and other rare materials that expand the chromatic possibilities of indigenous jewelry to extraordinary effect.
The ocean has supplied Native American jewelers with some of their most culturally significant materials. Mediterranean red coral, harvested from depths of 30 to 300 meters in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas, arrived in the Southwest through Spanish colonial trade routes. Spiny oyster shell from the Sea of Cortez has been traded northward for over a thousand years. Mother of pearl, abalone, and other marine shells complete a palette of organic materials whose cultural importance rivals turquoise itself.
Provenance
Offered by The Humiovi — family-owned in Sedona, Arizona, since 1972. Every piece in our gallery has a known origin and a verified maker.
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One of a Kind
The only one of its kind
WARNING: This product can expose you to lead and cadmium, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm. For more information go to P65Warnings.ca.gov.
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Arrives Fri, Sep 11 – Thu, Sep 17
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Indian Arts and Crafts Act Compliant
Every piece is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity, documenting its provenance and recorded below for Sterling Silver Spiny Oyster Earrings - Dangle #018.
Discover this exceptional Native American Earrings, handcrafted by Navajo (Diné) artisans, meticulously crafted in Sterling Silver. This remarkable piece showcases genuine Spiny Oyster. The Spiny Oyster featured in this piece carries a rich heritage — Harvested from the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez off Baja California, Mexico. The shell ranges from deep red-orange to purple and has been traded into the Southwest for over a thousand years. Available in size Dangle. The Navajo Nation spans 27,000 square miles across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, making it the largest Native American reservation. Navajo silversmiths learned their craft in the 1860s and developed iconic styles including squash blossom necklaces and concho belts. This piece bears the signature of artist Rick Tolino, a mark of authenticity and personal craftsmanship. Every piece at Humiovi is one-of-a-kind — once sold, it can never be replicated. Ships from our gallery in Sedona, Arizona.
SKU: Y453073
Provenance
Gulf of California
Characteristics
Spiny oyster shell brings warm color to Southwestern jewelry — vivid orange, deep red, and rich purple harvested from the spiny oyster mollusk. It is a classic complement to turquoise in inlay, heishi, and cluster work.
The Artist
Navajo silversmithing began in the mid-nineteenth century, when Diné smiths first worked silver into adornment. Within a generation the craft matured into the forms still recognised today — the squash blossom necklace, the concho belt, the broad stamped cuff. Tufa and sandcasting, in which molten silver is poured into hand-carved stone moulds, give Navajo work its weight and sculptural presence; stamping and repoussé add the rhythmic, hand-struck patterning. Turquoise — set as a single commanding cabochon or in radiant clusters — is the stone most bound to the tradition. Navajo makers account for the largest share of the work in this gallery. Each piece carries that lineage of silver and stone forward.
Heritage
The largest Native nation in the United States and the founders of Southwestern silversmithing — bold silver and turquoise from Diné Bikéyah.
Art Traditions
For the Diné, silver and turquoise are far more than ornament. Turquoise — dootłʼizhii — is a protective and sacred stone woven through Navajo ceremony, song, and the creation narratives of the Holy People. It is associated with sky, water, and blessing; to wear it is to carry a piece of the living landscape and the harmony, or hózhó, that Diné life seeks to maintain. Jewelry also functions as portable wealth and as a record of family. Pieces are pawned and redeemed, inherited, and worn at ceremonies, dances, weddings, and gatherings as expressions of status, identity, and belonging. A great deal of the finest Navajo work was never made for sale at all — it was made to be worn by the maker's own family, and "old pawn" that was never reclaimed is prized today precisely because it was made to Native standards rather than for the tourist trade. The craft is typically learned within families and at the bench, passed from one generation to the next. To buy Navajo jewelry is to participate in a living economy that has sustained Diné households for a century and a half. Humiovi presents Navajo work with respect for this depth of meaning, honoring the artisans and the cultural continuity their work represents rather than reducing it to decoration. Certain pieces carry particular weight within a family. A squash blossom necklace or a fine concho belt is often a household's signal heirloom, worn at ceremonies, weddings, and major life events and handed down deliberately from one generation to the next. To receive or inherit such a piece is to receive a measure of the family's history along with the silver. This is part of why the very best Navajo work has always been made first for the maker's own people, to Diné standards rather than to the expectations of the tourist trade — and why a piece made in that spirit, even when it eventually reaches the market, carries an integrity that mass production cannot imitate.
Cared for thoughtfully, a handcrafted piece is meant to last generations. A few essentials for this one:
Coral & spiny oyster
Organic and soft — wipe with a dry cloth only, and avoid water, heat, and chemicals.
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.
Estimated delivery: Fri, Sep 11 – Thu, Sep 17
Complimentary US shipping on all jewelry
Order by 2pm MST for same-day processing
Certificate of Authenticity
Every purchase includes a Certificate of Authenticity documenting the artist, tribal affiliation, and materials used in your piece.
Returns & Exchanges
Return within 30 days of delivery. Exchanges for an item of equal or greater value carry no restocking fee; refund returns are subject to a 20% restocking fee, with return shipping paid by you. Items must be in new, unworn, and unused condition with all original packaging — your Certificate of Authenticity is yours to keep. Custom and personalized pieces are not eligible.
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Authenticity Guarantee
This item is guaranteed authentic, handcrafted by a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe, in full compliance with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. § 305 et seq.).
