Santo Domingo Pueblo Indian Shell Inlay Jewelry

Mary Coriz Lovato, daughter of Santiago Leo Coriz, was born to the Corn Clan. Besides raising five sons to become accomplished silversmiths, Mary finds time to turn out some of the finest Indian jewelry found today. Mary's forte is inlaid shell earrings and pendants, a blend of the contemporary and the traditional.

Her work has become the standard by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Slivers of turquoise, pipestone, serpentine, coral, jet, and mother-of-pearl reflect the colors of the Sun's glow and show up in all of Mary's jewelry.

Since time immemorial, the Santo Domingo Pueblo has traded seashells from the Gulf of California and the Pacific over regular trade routes. Pendants cut from these glossy shells in various forms were overlaid with designs in abalone, jet, and turquoise.

Since the 1860s, craftsmen have created "traditional" silver jewelry. In the 1960s a "new look" in Indian jewelry emerged. And the new work being done today has a quality all its own.

Mary C. Lovato, along with her son Anthony, has visited Connecticut for several years to showcase her work at Southern Exposure.

Mary & Anthony
with owners of Southern Exposure, Les & Lu