Charles Loloma 18K Gold Multi-Stone size 6-¼ Ring [SOLD]

There is no mistaking this spectacular ring for anyone other than Charles Loloma's work. A hand-shaped 18K gold band creates the base for his distinct multi-stone upright inlay design. Encircling the entire ring are gemstones varying in thickness and heights. The widest gemstone—dark green in color—stands tallest. Rolling around the band from the green gemstone is a multitude of gemstones of various minerals. Each one was placed tightly against its neighbor gemstone, and each one varies in thickness and varies in elevation against the gold band.

Everything about this ring is outside the box while somehow, it remains classic and ready to wear on any occasion. It is fortunate to be able to experience Loloma's genius in such a beautiful way, and this ring's wearer will always find themselves inspired.

Loloma was a gifted and wildly creative jeweler with a voracious appetite for knowledge and experimentation. He studied and experimented with a variety of forms and techniques, beginning with tufa casting and Hopi overlay before developing and mastering the colorful multi-stone inlay style for which he is best known today. His success as a jeweler made his previous endeavors appear quite modest. He traveled the world, exhibited in Paris, taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts, and was featured in print and on television alongside the era's other groundbreaking Native artists.

Loloma's influence on Southwest Indian jewelry design is unmistakable. An entire generation of Native American artists was inspired by the work of Charles Loloma (1921-1991) to create in new and innovative ways. His own creations far exceeded anything by any other artist. His work ushered in a new era in Indian jewelry. Ironically, his initial submissions to the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial were rejected as not "looking Indian enough." By 1970, his jewelry was finding a wide audience of collectors. He had acquired a large national and international audience. Interest in his jewelry has continued today even though he has been gone for three decades. Loloma passed away in 1991, after a long and successful career making works in a variety of media. Today, he is regarded as one of the best and most influential jewelers of the twentieth century. His works continue to increase in value, visibility, and collectability.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Charles Loloma 18K Gold Multi-Stone size 6-¼ Ring is from the estate of a resident of Colorado

Recommended Reading: Loloma-Beauty is His Name, by Martha Hopkins Struever, 2005

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, jewelry, pottery, Otellie, Charles Loloma