Red coral inlay choker by Navajo silversmith Charles Willie. The 18” link choker with channel inlay is set in heavy gauge sterling silver. Signed with the hallmark “W”.
Channel inlay is one of the most intricate techniques of jewelry making. An inlay base design is made and a rim of silver is soldered around the edges. Silver partitions are put in to form “boxes” for the cut stones to fit into.
About the artist
Charles Willie
Navajo silversmith Charles Willie grew up in Twin Lake, New Mexico and has been an active silversmith since the 1980’s. He is known for his modern style, including contemporary channel inlay. He was resident silversmith for Sunburst Handcrafts since 1981, and now is one of the SuperSmiths from Gallup, New Mexico.
Charles Willie, Tim Charley, and Peterson Chee are a group of talented Navajo silversmiths from the Gallup area in New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation. They specialize in beautiful channel inlay, mosaic inlay, and cobbled inlay designs. Their jewelry features high quality craftsmanship and beautiful stone selections. As a group, they are known as the Supersmiths. Charles signs his work with a W.
