Apache Sterling Silver Spiral Necklace by Jan Loco [SOLD]

This Apache sterling silver spiral necklace by artist Jan Loco reflects her unequaled creative artistry. Flat silver strips were formed into triangular-shaped spirals, each with circular ends.  Four of these were hooked together on each side with small silver circular wire.  A larger spiral hangs at the bottom and connects the eight smaller spirals.

As Jan Loco is no longer making jewelry, her work is eagerly sought by collectors. Spiral designs have been used by people worldwide since ancient times. For Southwestern Natives, the spiral represents and honors water, which to desert dwellers, is necessary for life. Her reverence for the natural world is apparent in the crafting of such pieces as she skillfully cut and shaped the silver creating wearable art that seems to flow like water.  

Jan Loco (b.1949) became interested in Apache symbolism and legend when, as a young adult, she discovered her Apache ancestry. Her jewelry designs were inspired by the stories of her ancestors, incorporating symbols and motifs reflecting the heavens, Apache legends, as well as plants and animals of the Apache homeland.

Her unique method of creating jewelry without power tools was a laborious task, but she felt it honored her ancestry to use items of nature rather than power tools. Using only heavy-duty shears, she cut and fashioned the silver to the desired shape, after which she hammered it with a specially selected rock until she achieved the texture she desired. Each of the spirals is textured in the unique manner of the artist. The larger spiral is stamped LOCO on the back.

This necklace was made as a special gift to a Santa Fe resident by the artist.  It was completed in the late 1980s.

Condition: new condition

Provenance: this Apache Sterling Silver Spiral Necklace by Jan Loco is from the collection of the original owner who received it directly from the artist.

Recommended Reading: Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest by Sarah Peabody and William Turnbaugh

TAGS: jewelry, Apache, Jan Loco, Apache Jeweler