Ring, Conversational, Kachina, Turquoise, Early Jerry Roan, Hallmark, Vintage, 594

Saying that we’re beyond excited to offer this fabulous vintage find would be an understatement! 

Not only is this stunning statement ring the craftsmanship of widely renowned and revered native Southwest jewelry artisan, the late Jerry Roan (1919-1977), it’s one of his earlier works before he changed his hallmark from a broken arrow pictorial mark to his initials accompanied by a stick figure. Roan began silversmithing in the late 1960s and his pieces are highly coveted and collectible, with some even appearing in the Smithsonian and the Yellowhorse Museum in Arizona. 

The detail and depth of dimension visible in this classic Kachina design exemplify the extent of Roan’s talent as an artisan, and his use of beautiful bright turquoise cabochons set in small serrated bezels adds to the eye-catching aesthetic of this vintage statement piece.

KACHINA:

The interpretation of a Kachina can vary from tribe to tribe, but they are believed to be personifications of different things and believed to have human-like forms and behaviors, so the image of a Kachina is almost always a vague full-body depiction of a “person” in a headdress in and traditional garb. Kachinas can represent many things but are widely considered benevolent beings with positive forces to bring things like rainfall, protection, healing, and fertility.

Jerry Roan's early work is marked broken arrow pictorial as listed in Barton Wright's Hallmarks for the Southwest.  He later changed his hallmark to his initials and a stick figure. The presence of his early hallmark on this piece places this as one of his earlier works.