I was fortunate to pass through Zuni last year, and stopped in to the Zuni Arts co-op. This necklace grabbed me as I walked by (as we know things sometimes do!), and it was a piece made by the young man working there at the time, Chris Gchachu. My favorite kind of find!
Interesting, piece; I’m attracted to the pendant shape. I know the Gchachu family jewelry name, but not Chris. The use of different bezels styles in the pendant seems unusual to me. Also the mix of set stones and inlay pieces. Certainly a unique pendant!
Very interesting and beautiful necklace.
The shape reminds me of an ulu, an all-purpose knife/scraper used throughout the Arctic regions of the world. They are primarily considered a woman’s tool, used for scraping skins or chopping food.
I looked around at some of Chris Gchachu other pieces and like his style a lot. Did the artist use maker’s mark(s) on your piece? It would be nice to see if he did. Cool necklace.
I didn’t see a mark on the back, unfortunately! I like all the various elements he put together, and it’s unlike anything else I have. He added some links to make it more adjustable lengthwise while we grabbed some lunch. It was nice to see progress in Zuni with a new high school and grocery/deli
@tepowell Your necklace is so unique! What a great find, and a special memory of your Zuni visit. I haven’t heard of this artist before so I’ll check out his jewelry. Something I really like about this forum is being introduced to new-to-me Native American artists.