Richard Tsosie Navajo Cobblestone inlay Tufa cast belt buckle. 2 5/8" x 2", takes up to a 1.25" belt.

Artists › Richard Tsosie
Richard is perhaps best known for his distinctive textured silver designs. His trademark techniqie of granulation was discovered by accident when he noticed silver filings were fusing onto a ring he was soldering. He calls the process which produces this granulated surface texture “reticulation,” and he has been perfecting the technique throughout his career.

Born in 1956, Richard has been a jeweler since the mid 1970s. He learned jewelry making from his brother Boyd and from Kenneth Begay at Navajo Community College in Arizona. He quickly progressed from basic tasks of cutting and polishing stones to the more complex process of inlay.

Richard’s contemporary silver and hold work features the use of fabrication, overlay, and granulation. He is also known for colorful inlay work with a variety of natural stones and for his fine degree of control and attention to detail. His designs are motivated by images of the natural world, particularly the Wide Ruins area of the reservation where he spent a large part of his youth. Richard says of his work, “I am inspired by the colors of the mountains at sunset, the patterns of shadow and light that emerge at dawn, and the pinpoints of starlight against the black night sky.”

His pieces typically contain the symbol for lighting and an arrow pattern. The lightning stands for natural causes, while the arrowhead symbolizes man-made elements. Richard says the design represents the ups and downs of life. “Some things we can’t do anything about and you should try to enjoy life to the fullest.”

All precious metals are tested and guaranteed, any Native American jewelry referred to as Silver or Sterling is guaranteed to be a minimum of 90% (coin) silver and possibly higher content. Anything marked is guaranteed to be what it's marked, most bracelets are photographed on a 6" wrist (non hairy), rings photographed on the appropriate sized finger when possible. With bracelets if the measurement is not given in the description then inside circumference is shown where the metal meets the number on the the cloth tape measure.