Even among young jewelry artists, Jesse, who has Creek heritage, has recently drawn attention in the United States. He is a silversmith devoted to traditional techniques and the old style from before the 1940s: he melts American silver coins more than 100 years old, casts ingot bars in molds, and shapes them by hammering. The squash blossom is an icon of abundance for the Navajo and is widely used in Indian jewelry. A squash blossom pendant like this one, made by hammering a flat plate from a coin silver ingot and forming the beads before assembling it, takes a great deal of time and effort. A bead made from a Mercury dime (10-cent coin) is attached at the top of the squash blossom. Material: Coin silver Dimensions: Height 6.5 cm; width 2.7 cm; included lace 45 cm Artist: Jesse Robbins (Creek)
