Craig Agoodie

Craig Agoodie was born September 6th, 1978. His father was Max Agoodie and his mother is Bellies. He grew up in Pinon, Arizona. His clan on is mother’s side is Coyote Pass People and on his father’s side is Manygoats.

Craig’s father’s mom was very supportive of him learning silversmithing. His father also use to silversmith when he was a child and Craig would observe him. “The tools were sitting there and one day I tried it. It was hard at first trying to solder. I asked my dad to teach me to solder and from there I just kept practicing. My aunt bought me some nickel silver to practice on. The first thing I made was a ring when I was 14 years old. My aunt then bought me some sterling silver. I initially did cluster work.”

Craig began looking at magazines and styles that were being produced. By the time he was 17 or 18, he was making bracelets and experimenting with gold. About that time, Craig met Albert Nells in Flagstaff and Albert gave him some advice. “You’ve got to come up with your own designs”, he told him which Craig took to heart and has done.

When Craig was about 30 years old, he began working in a jewelry shop making bezels. He says, “That’s almost all I did, making bezels and setting gemstones. I also learned casting ingot and rolling it out.”

Craig begins making his jewelry by creating a sterling silver ingot. He then hammers the ingot and finishes with his unique stamping.

Craig met Mark Bahti in about 2009. Mark helped him refine his bezels. Craig makes the most precise and finished bezels. “Mark helped me refine the techniques I had learned to master bezel making”. Craig then went on to master the technique of the texture for which he is known. Hammered texture had caught his attention. Again, Mark Bahti encouraged him to refine his skill and design. Craig says that the texture of his rings can take about 100 strikes, which can take him an hour to do. A bracelet can have at least 1000 strikes and can take up at least 3 hours to do.

Other artists influenced Craig as well. About 20 years ago, Craig met Lyndon Tsosie who had an influence on him and he began doing lapidary work. “Lyndon advised me to use better materials and he taught me how to solder better” says Craig, “I remember talking to Darryl Begay and he told me to hold back on my designs”. “Vernon Haskie also advised me and I use to buy coral from him. Raymond Yazzie helped me as well”.

Craig is such a fine silver and gold smith. He knows high grade materials and works hard to use only the finest. We are proud to work with him.