Hopi Overlay Jewelry

Click on the image below to enlarge. Before World War 2, most Hopi made jewelry resembled Navajo jewelry in design and execution. A few Hopi silversmiths were experimenting with purely "Hopi" design elements, but it was not until after the war that the style became established. Following the war, returning Hopi G.I.'s took their G.I. Bill funds to begin a crafts cooperative to teach silversmithing to Hopi students as a way of creating jobs. With the help of noted arts patrons and Mueum of Northern Arizona curators, the Colters and others, the idea of adopting the designs from old Hopi pottery to silver jewelry grew into the highly sought after form it has taken today. These items are made of two or three separate layers of sterling silver sheet, soldered together, and finished to create a light foreground against a dark background. The designs are cut out by hand using a jewler's saw. When finishing, Hopi silversmiths usually add finely worked tooled texture to the background. This texture generally follows the form of the design elements and is evident in most Hopi silversmithing. Although Navajo silversmiths also use these techniques, their practice of utilizing extensive surface tooling to create detail and uniform beackground texture is different from the more stark and simple Hopi finishing. All of Kiva's Hopi jewelry is fully authenticated and carries the Hopi silversmith's personal signature symbol, or "hallmark". Most Hopi silversmiths use personal hallmarks which are custom made stamping tools. They often picture clan, animal, or personal symbols. In addition, the hallmarks of Crafts Guilds or bench operations may be present on certain pieces.

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