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Variscite Tab Necklace by Ray Lovato

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Handmade Gorgeous Natural Variscite Heishi and Tab Necklace by Santo Domingo Artist Ray Lovato

SOLD

Product Description

Handmade Gorgeous Natural Variscite Heishi and Tab Necklace by Santo Domingo Artist, Ray Lovato.  The variscite in this necklace is a lovely greenish and black color.  It measures 21″ Long.

Santa Domingo artist Ray Lovato is known for his use of natural turquoise, which is both more valuable than treated turquoise and more difficult to work with.  Born in 1946, Ray began to learn his craft by age eleven and would help his mother, Tonita Reano, drill turquoise. His father, Ike Lovato, made and sold jewelry and traveled across the region, and taught Ray his craft. As a young man, Ray enlisted in the army and did two tours of duty in Vietnam; when he came home, he struggled in construction before returning to jewelry: “Then I started to do what my father taught me, my own work. Then everything was okay.”

Ray sources his turquoise from a selection of mines, and has worked with Lone Mountain, Kingman, Orville Jack, Royston, and Sleeping Beauty turquoise. He prefers to work with small nuggets, and grinds each piece flat by hand before drilling, rounding, and polishing.
Ray’s awards include those from the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Gallup Ceremonials, and the Eight Northern Pueblos.

Additional information

Artist

Ray Lovato

Dimensions

Measures 21" Long

Metal / Material

Clasp is Sterling Silver

Stone/Jewels

Natural Variscite

Tribe

Santo Domingo / Kewa

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