Nelson, Jeffrey

JEFFREY NELSON is a Navajo jeweler from Gallup, New Mexico. He has been crafting fine jewelry for over 20 years. He learned mainly from watching his uncle and other family members, as well as trial and error during his own creative experiments. Like most jewelers, he began by working in silver, but he particularly enjoys working in 14 karat gold and, today he works almost exclusively with gold, combining it with precious and semi-precious stones in intricate inlaid patterns. Often these patterns include tiny colorful yei figures, which are the spiritual guides of the Navajo people.