Darry Dean & Rebecca Begay Tufa cast sterling butterflies bracelet, earrings,<br>and pendant set. Very fun set, bracelet is 6.75" including the 1.25" gap 19mm<br>wide, earrings 31mm x 13mm, pendant 65mm with bail x 20mm wide. This set is in<br>new unworn condition.<br><br>“Our calling it is to create beautiful jewelry and bring joy to people.” –Darry<br>Dean & Rebecca Begay<br><br>Darryl Dean and Rebecca Begay are Navajo artists who collaborate on jewelry<br>designs and fabrication using traditional techniques inspired by contemporary<br>life. Their Navajo culture has a powerful influence on their jewelry, telling<br>stories that allow ancient ceremonies and chants to live on. “As an Indigenous<br>people, we are still holding on to our language and culture,” Darryl Dean<br>offered.<br><br>Each artist brings a unique skill to the jewelry making process. Darryl Dean is<br>adept at stonework and is one of the few true masters at tufa casting. Rebecca<br>applies her design sense and delicate hand to floral carving, incorporating the<br>natural tufa stone texture into their work.<br><br>“We don’t mass produce,” Darryl Dean says of their meticulous methods. “The<br>thing with us is that making jewelry is more of an art form. We create each<br>piece from start to finish.”<br><br>Darryl Dean and Rebecca won the Best of Show award at the 2009 Santa Fe Indian<br>Market. They work chiefly with high-grade turquoise and silver, though also use<br>coral and other gemstones, and work in 18-karat gold as well.