Gallup, NM: "Indian jewelry capital of the world."

New Mexico Business Journal, June, 1994

Using a shell-shaped stamp that he had made himself, Begay deftly pressed the images into the two silver strips. He then shaped the two pieces into a bowed surface and touched an acetylene torch to the slender length of the twist wire that would go in between. Placing the darkened twist wire between the stamped silver edge pieces, Begay used a chemical flux to soften the solder. Leaving the silver to cool, he prepared the five stones that would go on the twist wire. The process continued with an array of tools and processes: soldering, an acid wash, a thin saw to cut around the silver bezel shapes, sawdust to help set the stones, an antenna wire to manipulate the dots of silver scrap that would decorate around the stones, a rawhide mallet, a screwdriver fashioned into a stamp.

To a craftsman, tools are a crucial and very personal property. Begay says he lost a set once from his pickup truck, and he guards his current collection carefully, the box full of handmade stamps made from files, car parts, any bit of metal that strikes his fancy, and suits his needs. An inventive and productive artisan, Begay says he has trained others to the craft he learned by observation. "The money's good. It's never boring. I'm making something that will last," he says, noting that he frequently spots his pieces around the necks, arms or waists of Gallup residents and visitors. "That's a good feeling." Each piece he marks with a sterling mark and with his own DB initial stamp.

Additional Information Contact;

Gallup Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 600 Gallup, NM 87305 1-800-242-4282

Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce 103 West Hwy 66 Gallup, NM 87301 1-505-722-2228

Ceremonial Association P.O. Box 1 Churchrock, NM 87311 (505) 863-3896

City of Gallup Economic Development P.O. Box 1270 Gallup, NM 87305 (505) 863-1299

Red Rock State Park P.O. Box 328 Churchrock, NM 87311 (505) 722-3839

The production process takes various forms. Some craftspeople purchase materials independently, produce their own product and then sell it to the individual stores or buyers. Others work in on-site shops at various businesses, producing the items that the business owner designates. Still others work on contract at home, with materials provided by the business which will eventually sell the items produced.

With all the trends and changes has come improved quality, business people and craftspeople agree. Jewelry items are better made technically and of higher quality than ever before.

From the Hopi lands to the west come Kachina carvings, which can range in price from $4 to $4,000. The masked Kachina dolls on display throughout Gallup are loosely based on representations of spirits, but as commercial items they are not considered sacred objects, but rather are a reflection of artistic design. Initially presented as stationary figures, Kachinas have been carved "in motion" for nearly 100 years, feet raised, arms aloft, some seem to soar from their resting places.

The commercial value of a hand-woven Indian basket is usually based on its visual appeal and on how finely woven the piece is. Basket weaving is among the oldest, if not actually the oldest, known Native American craft form. Among the finest current producers of hand-woven baskets are the Papago and the Hopis.