Vintage Zuni George & Lupeta Leekity Carved Turquoise Cast Sterling Pendant Pin

  
This is a listing for a vintage cast silver pin and pendant combination hand wrought by George and Lupeta Leekity. Signed with their hallmark and guaranteed to be sterling silver. It features superb carved stones from the Sleeping Beauty mine and is in perfect vintage condition with no damage and very dark aged patina.

Every now and then you will come across turquoise that can not take a bad photo. That's how good these stones are. The color is so rich, it will jump at you from across the room. The design is by George Leekity, a master silversmith married to Lupeta, daughter of the famous Zuni artist Horace Iule. Horace was one of the first Zuni jewelers to create the famous knifewing pieces and is famous for his cast work crosses.

Both Lupeta and her husband George learned from her father. Her training began when she was just 13. They still use the molds owned by her father and when they do, they will sign their work with his name Iule. George creates his own designs done in cast sterling and when he does, he signs it G & L LEEKITY. The pendant is rounded with scalloped edges and measures 2 and 1/8th inches across.

Cast sterling is delightful for it's sturdiness and strength and this piece weighs 32 grams. Has both a bail and locking pin, so a lot of versatility.

The bail is an open hook... Adding even more versatility because you can slip it between your beads and it doesn't have to fit over them. It's so nice to have an artist who creates a piece that is extremely functional.

The cast work is superb... Very strong and perfectly executed partial sun stamps that form a circle around the piece. The crescent shape of the stamp is further enhanced by the scalloped edge of the thick sterling. It's floral layout is defined by a large carved nugget of turquoise surrounded by 5 more evenly set nuggets.

All of the stones are over. 5 inches, but not quite 5/8th of an inch.. Other than the central stone, which is a full 5/8th of an inch across. These are very large and decent stones for a cluster design. They are each mounted perfectly in a handmade deep bezel with a fine serrated edge and accented simply with hand poured silver drops scattered between and around them. The turquoise is showing the beginning of age in in rich color. And the quartz inclusions are always a nice surprise for anyone who collects high end turquoise. They add complexity and rich beauty to each nugget. Stone cutting is a rare art and the artist was able to carve the surface of these stones in a manner that enhanced their natural shape rather than distort or disguise it. This is an extremely wearable piece of art. You can't wear it out. It will resist damage and only improve with age. An object of beauty that was created from skills passed on through generations, it will become your own heirloom.

The item "Vintage Zuni George & Lupeta Leekity Carved Turquoise Cast Sterling Pendant Pin" is in sale since Sunday, January 28, 2018. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Necklaces & Pendants". The seller is "100smr" and is located in Saint Louis, Missouri.

This item can be shipped to United States.

• Jewelry Type: Pendants
• Tribal Affiliation: Zuni
• Ethnic Origin: Zuni
• Main Stone: Turquoise
• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Signed?: Signed G and L LEEKITY