AARON JOHN
(Navajo)
Aaron John, a soft spoken man with a gentle spirit and a ready smile, is from Fort Defiance on the Navajo reservation.
At the age of 16, having seen his Dad's tool box every day at the end of the hall in the family house, he finally found the key and opened it up. To his delight he found all of his Dad's jewelry making tools. Little by little he taught himself how to use them. Over the years when Aaron had time he would treat his in-laws with jewelry for Christmas and birthdays.
Four years ago Aaron retired from having been a coal miner for 22 years. He took up silversmithing full time and is fast becoming one of the top new artists today.
He has incredible detail in his work, and uses great stones. He is a self-taught jeweler, like many others but unlike many, his work is fresh, individual, and beautifully made. Favorite design motifs involve overlaid dragonflies, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other graceful creatures, interspersed with small coral and turquoise stones.
