Tommy Singer, Navajo | |||||||||
The money clip is stainless steel and the decorative top is sterling silver and gold filled.
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Paula says - "A classy money clip provides a great way to keep your cash organized while carrying around some Native American art. It can also be used as a book marker or a big paper clip on your daytimer or planner."
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What is Storyteller Jewelry?Storyteller jewelry, typically bracelets, pendants and pins, are made using the sterling silver overlay method, sometimes incorporating gold in the overlay. Two layers comprise the jewelry - the top layer is a scene, figures, or symbols meticulously cut out and then placed over a solid bottom layer. The bottom layer is the background behind the cutouts and is often textured or darkened (oxidized) for contrast. The two layers are then “sweated” together - the silver is heated until the two layers meld. The result is a 3-D picture with great depth and interest. Storyteller jewelry often depicts scenes from life on the reservation, including animals like sheep, dogs and horses, buildings such as hogans and outhouses, mesas, trees, looms, kivas, wagans and even pickup trucks. |
About Tommy SingerTommy Singer (1940-2014), was the son of a Navajo medicine man who taught him the art of making jewelry. Tommy grew up in a small community of Dilcon on the Navajo Reservation and began his silversmith career at age 21 by making silver overlay jewelry. He soon added turquoise stones to his work and this led to his inovation in the 1970s of the chip inlay method, where small pieces of turquoise and coral are mixed with epoxy to fill cavities in silver pieces. Chip inlay became very popular and continues to be used by countless Native American artists to this day. Besides using traditional rug and sandpainting designs in his work Tommy made exceptional storyteller pieces in sterling silver and gold overlay. His colorful bead necklaces, which include many different stones as well as gold and silver barrel beads, are highly prized. Tommy Singer was one of the most accomplished and most popular Native American artists and his work is admired and collected the world over. |
What Does Gold-Filled Mean?Gold-Filled (GF) is a layer of gold 10K or greater mechanically bonded under heat and pressure to a base material, then rolled or drawn to a given thickness or gage. Gold filled jewelry has a surface layer of gold that is very thick compared to gold plated or electroplated items. Gold-filled jewelry are considered LIFETIME products, and the gold layer will not quickly wear off, as it does with gold plated jewelry. Read about gold |
