News

Mother's Day Discount

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:45:00 GMT

We are offering a special Mother's Day Discount.

Get 15% off your entire order now through May 13th. Simply enter Discount Code MOM15 during checkout to receive your discount.

For orders over $1,000 get 20% off. Enter Discount Code MOM20 during checkout.

What a great way to show the mom in your life how much you care.

Inlay Jewelry Care Information

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:42:00 GMT

You may have browsed some of our jewelry and noticed some of the beautiful inlay jewelry by David Rosales, Kabana, as well as other artists. We have many people ask us how to maintain this exquisite jewelry so that it will remain looking beautiful for years to come. So, here are a few tips.

It is recommended that you remove your inlay or gemstone jewelry before washing dishes, bathing or working with your hands. Also avoid exposing your inlay or gemstone jewelry to lotion, chemicals or extreme temperature changes and prolonged exposure to sunlight or water. Inadvertant "banging" or sudden impact of the stones may damage the stones or cause them to fall out.

When properly cared for, your jewelry can bring you years of satisfaction. If however, your jewelry does happen to get damaged, not to worry, we would be happy to take a look at it for you free of charge. We will let you know what your options to repair your jewelry item(s) are as well as give you a price quote for the repair. Please contact us if you would like futher information or if you have any questions.

Kabana Inlay & Horse Jewelry

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:17:00 GMT

Among some of the beautiful Turquoise, Coral, and White Buffalo Turquoise handmade jewelry made by Native American Indians with a more traditional look we also have many jewelry pieces that are more contemporary with gemstones and diamonds.

If you are not familiar with the excellent quality of Kabana jewelry, let us introduce you. All Kabana jewelry is crafted right here in the great Southwest of this great American country. They have been creating fantastic, glittering, and gorgeous jewelry since the 1970's, where each piece goes through several quality checks to make sure their high standards are met.

Not only do we carry their inlay, diamond, and gemstone collection, but we also carry their lovely Gold and Silver Horse and Equestrian line.

Our Kabana jewelry has very competitive prices, plus we have a lot more than can be seen online. If you are looking for something specific, please let us know, we may have it!

David Rosales Jewelry

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:29:00 GMT

West of Santa Fe prides itself on the very high level of quality that you find with us. We carry only the finest artisans. One of our favorites that we wish to feature is, David Rosales. His beautiful inlay jewelry has many hours of craftmanship put into each piece. You won't go wrong selecting any piece from the David Rosales Jewelry Collection.

David is a jewelry maker and designer, who employs over 30 Native American Indian Silversmiths from the Navajo tribe of Northwestern New Mexico, USA. These highly talented artists have been making jewelry from a very young age, having had this talent passed down through the generations. These artists are encouraged to collaborate their natural creativity to bring to you these elegant and beautiful pieces of jewelry, which are truely works of art.

Each one of the color combinations are beautiful and unique in their own way, and make it easy to buy a matching jewelry set. Some of his fantastic color combinations are:

What's your favorite?

White Buffalo Turquoise Jewelry

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:17:00 GMT

We've been adding lots of new White Buffalo Turquoise Jewelry & now you can find it all in one convenient place:

White Buffalo Turquoise Jewelry

Kokopelli

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:22:00 GMT

One of the most widely recognized figures in Southwest rock art is the Humpback Flute Player, popularly known as Kokopelli.

He is found on rock surfaces throughout the Southwest but the most numerous examples occur near the Anasazi settlements of Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, Canyon De Chelly and throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

The name Kokopelli seems to have originated from "koko" meaning "kachina" in the Zuni language and "pelli" refers to "hump" in Hopi.

Legend tells of the Humpback flute player who wandered from village to village with a bag of songs on his back. He was especially welcome at corn-planting time as he was a symbol of fertility.

As a Hopi Kachina, Kokopelli appears during mixed dances and is considered a sexual clown.

We carry many different Kokopelli jewelry items as well as some gift & decor items. Please do a search above to find what you are looking for.

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:18:00 GMT

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Navajo Tradition and Yei'Bi'Chei Ceremonials

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:31:00 GMT

Navajo religion is a combination of moral philosophy and preventive medicine. The teachings and beliefs are set forth in a myriad of legends and corresponding ceremonies. Throughout all these legends, Man is the central theme and is paramount in the Navajo world, with the sun, moon, stars, animals, plants, ceremonial knowledge, and all the rest of nature created for his use and benefit. The the Navajo, the constant purpose of life is to control his environment. He can best do this by observing various taboos and by avoiding or overcoming disease, misfortune, or evil through the proper exercise of a prescribed ceremony. At all times he must maintain, or re-establish his balance and harmony with nature. The ceremonies and rituals of Navajo religion are aimed at fulfilling the requirements of life and living; they are not concerned with preparation for death and afterlife. After death man loses his identity and merely becomes one with the universe, and is neither punished nor rewarded.

One of the major ceremonies of the Navajo is the nine-day Night Chant or Yei'bi'chei dance. It is only held during the winter months and is usually attended by everyone from miles around. It is during this ceremony that boys and girls receive their initiation into the rituals of Navajo religion. The boys are stripped to a loincloth, and with heads bowed, are approaced by the masked Yei'bi'chei who sprinkles pollen over various parts of the boy's body then "whips" him with yucca leaves.

The second day of the Night Chant is a busy one. In the morning sacraficial kethawns and ceremonial cigarettes are prepared, and the patient is administered his first sweat bath. In the afternoon a small sand painting is made and appropriate chants are sung. The sand painting is about a yard in diameter. At the outer edge, in the four cardinal points, are four mounds of colored sand representing the four sacred mountains. The four single colored lines leading from the mountains toward the central figure indicate the trails of various gods. The figure in the center is that of THADITIN ASIKE, or Pollen Boy. Leading to the center of the painting is a line of white corn meal and in its course are figures of four foot prints. The paitient is then brought in and made to exactly follow these foot steps and then sit in the center of the painting. HASTSEYALTI arrives and takes his place to the north of the patient and the singing and chanting commences.

In all Navajo ceremonies, much of the ritual, chanting, sand painting, making of prayer sticks, and general conduct of the rite is under the direct supervision and direction of the Medicine Man. He is a man of unusual talents and prodigious memory. His revered position as HATAATLI comes only after years of arduous study and apprenticeship, by which time will know one of the great ceremonies perfectly, and some of the minor ones as well. The intricacies of a nine-day "Way" range from the creation of several sand paintings to the purification rites and the supervision of the dancers.

Dream Catchers

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:10:00 GMT

The story of the Dream Catcher is one of the most beautiful in Indian mythology. It is believed that it originated from the Oneida Indians in the Northeast part of America. A dream catcher was usually placed above an infant's cradleboard. The web of the dream catcher would filter all dreams and let only the good dreams flow through the open circle. The dream catcher was kept throughout life and its power was enhanced with fetishes and personal belongings.

We carry many different Silver Dream catcher earrings and pendants, as well as some wall hangings (coming soon) that you too can hang above your bed.

The History of Indian Jewelry

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:09:00 GMT

When thinking of all the many Native American crafts, the art of Indian jewelry is near the top. When people think of this craft in it's most authentic form, four Southwestern tribes come to mind: Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Santo Domingo. For these Native Americans this craft and artistry is a main part of their lifestyle. To understand how it became a part of their lives we need to go back to the beginning.

The Spanish were the first Europeans to make contact with Native American people of the Southwest. Over time, friendly relations gave way to animosity and a reduction of Spanish influence. Native Americans continued to enjoy one introduction made by the Spanish conquerors - the horse. They greatly admired the use of silver ornamentation on the bridles and bits of the Spaniards horses and hoped to reproduce them, but their knowledge of metal work was limited. When the Southwest became a part of Mexico, the Mexicans traded jewelry to the Navajo for sheep. To the Navajo, jewelry then became a symbol of wealth. The Navajo were the first Indian silversmiths to learn from Mexican silversmiths in the 1850's. Mexican silversmiths had been taught and influenced by the Spanish. At first U.S. and Mexican coins were melted to work with, until this was outlawed by both governments. In 1940, Sterling Silver was first used in sheet and wire form.

The Navajo and Hopi are primarily silversmiths while Zuni are skilled in lapidary, or stonecutting techniques. Santo Domingo jewelers use larger cylindrical beads made from all types of stones and shells.

It is believed that around 1872 the Navajo taught the Zuni to work on silver. As mentioned the Zuni are Lapidarist. The use of this art form can be compared to a frame around a painting. It is used as a prop to help display the beauty of the stones used.

The early pieces of Hopi jewelry looked very much like Navajo. It took a while for Hopi jewelry to be adapted but now a technique called silver overlay makes their work distinctive .

Native American silversmiths look at each piece of jewelry as a whole. Slight imperfections are so consistent that no matter how similar pieces appear, each is unique.

What is White Turquoise?

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:51:00 GMT

White Buffalo Turquoise is also known as "Sacred Buffalo" because of it's rarity. It was discovered in a mine in Nevada in the early 1990's, but wasn't used in making jewelry until the mid-late 1990's. White Buffalo Turquoise varies in color, along with it's matrix due to the fact that all Turquoise gets its color from the heavy metals in the ground where it forms.

We love White Buffalo Turquoise jewelry and are working to make more available to you. Let us know what you'd like to see more of: earrings, bracelets, pendants, necklaces, etc.

Kelly Pappas Dolls

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:07:00 GMT

The beautiful dolls that are created by Kelly Pappas are sold exclusively by West of Santa Fe.

Kelly has always had a deep love for dolls, and she started taking doll making classes in 1992. She would drive for two hours each way once a week to Salt Lake City to learn everything she could about the art of doll making. She had a wonderful teacher, who took Kelly under her wing, and taught her everything she needed to learn so that she could start teaching her own doll classes in her hometown. Kelly has been teaching doll classes for the past six years, and she loves every aspect of it.

In 1994, Kelly was approached by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to create a doll that followed their theme. It was at this time that the Indian Maiden was created. Since that time, Kelly has created dolls for many other events.

Kelly started entering her doll in numerous doll shows and she was honored with numerous ribbon for 1st Place, Best of Show, and the ones which were the most important to her, the Peoples Chose awards.

This beautiful Cheyenne II doll may be found amongst many other beautiful & precious dolls in our Dolls category. Dolls