JSW860 April Unkestine
Sterling silver buckle by Zuni silversmith April Unkestine. The 2 1/4” x 3” buckle has a channel inlay Sunface with turquoise, jet, coral and mother of pearl inlay n the traditional Zuni manner.
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. The Zuni Indians are known for their channel inlay jewelry.
Zuni silversmith April Unkestine, born in 1970, is from Gallup, New Mexico. She has been an active silversmith since 1970’s. April is known for her all hand-fabricated inlay, with the Sunface being one of her signature pieces. April stays true to her Zuni roots and traditions in the materials and the patterns she produces.
About the artist
Ruddell & Nancy Laconsello
Zuni Jewelers: a married couple from Zuni, who work in collaboration and have become a successful team, famous for finely etched inlaid birds. He does the silverwork; she does the inlay.
Nancy and Ruddell Laconsello have been making jewelry together since they were married in 1976. Having learned from her father, Nancy had been doing inlay for several years prior to that. Ruddell is basically self-taught as he learned simply by watching others.
This inlay style, sometimes referred to as overlay with inlaid settings, involves a technique similar to the overlay process in that designs are cut out of one sheet of silver, which is soldered to another. Stones are set into the open areas to form the colorful inlay designs.
Nancy does all of the inlay work; Ruddell does the designing, silver work, polishing and the etching of the fine lines that give the inlaid materials added definition.
The materials inlaid in the pieces shown here are turquoise, lapis lazuli, opal, coral, malachite, jet, and a variety of shells.
