I am normally too chicken to wear big jewelry, but this one called me. The chain I got from a pawn shop, but the pendant I bought from a large eBay dealer who was calling it Navajo. When it arrived I had to pick my jaw up off the floor after I opened the package. It is worked obsidian. It is the size of my hand. I was pretty sure it was not Navajo. It is engraved Native Bling 12 on the back. I just confirmed it was a collaboration piece between young flintknapper Daniel A. Pierce, a Big Pine Paiute-Shoshone and 2nd generation silversmith Bishop Paiute Neil Martinez, owner of Native Bling. This made me even happier because it means I have something made by locals (they are both located on the East side of the Sierra, a place I love and a few hours from the coast). The kicker is that I’ve been visiting this area for 30 years and had no idea there was a shop there called Native Bling selling jewelry. Daniel is still creating flintknapped jewelry.
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I just learned something from your post. I had no idea that artists are still practicing flint-knapping, as I associated this only with artifacts. But I’m happy, now that I know this, because it really is an art, a cousin to carving stone or sculpting.
Thanks, glad it was useful! I didn’t know either until I accidentally stumbled across this pendant. Daniel initially learned from another Native American gentleman and uses an antler as his tool according to his blog. It’s nice to know there are young people that are still interested in these things.
I did hear back from the artist Daniel Pierce and it is his work, so I edited my post. He also told me he has made more pieces to sell for Christmas.Neil/ Native Bling I was unable to contact.
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