Native American Handmade Jewelry Inspired by the Desert
I am so fortunate to live in Tucson, Arizona. My hometown is in the Sonoran Desert and surrounded by sky islands, mountains, desert, and wonderful national parks like the Saquaro National Monuments. The beautiful desert environment and the wonderful mix of Native American Tribal and Hispanic Cultures inspire me every day. I love the Sonoran Desert and it shows in my work. I grew up in a family of mixed cultures, my maternal side is Yaqui, also known as the Yoeme people. I am from the Valencia/Yuku family from Old Pascua village in Tucson. (Yuku means rain or the God of Rain in Yaqui. My grandmother told me our real last name was Yuku, but our family changed it to Valencia when they fled persecution in Sonora, Mexico during the Yaqui Wars.)
My paternal side is Mexican, from the state of Sonora in northern Mexico. My paternal grandmother's family were silver/copper mine owners, and ranchers of Spanish descent who were some of the founders of the town and church in El Valle de Tacupeto,. My paternal grandfather's family were of Portuguese and Indigenous descent. I am able to pull from both my family heritages, cultural experiences, and the natural environment for endless inspiration.
My absolute favorite sources of inspiration come from desert flowers and cacti. These exotic desert plants not only look beautiful but hold special spiritual significance to my tribe, the Yaqui. Flowers are powerful magic and symbols of purity, beauty, spiritual blessings and harmony. In a dry harsh environment like the desert, flowers remind us that the desert is actually teeming with life, energy, and abundance if we just look for it.
Many of my Sterling Silver pieces are hand-etched/carved drawings on Sterling Silver which reflect my love of these wonderful desert plants. All of my silver art pieces are cut, polished, and signed by hand.
How did it all start? I started creating and selling jewelry in 2001 (formerly my business was named Blissful Epiphany Jewelry). At the time, I was working in HR Data Information Systems for a large software company. I used jewelry as a creative outlet from my boring desk job. Eventually, I decided to leave the corporate world behind (thank goodness)! That was in 2014. I dabbled in marketing and graphic design on the side since 2007. Finally in 2016, I started to devote all my creative energy to my own jewelry. My designs have been sold in many shops and galleries around Tucson and my work has been featured in the Arizona Daily Star and other local publications.
The following stores currently carry my jewelry:
1 - Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
2 - Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
3 - Tucson Botanical Gardens Gift Shop, Tucson, AZ
4 - Pop Cycle - 4th Avenue - Tucson, AZ
5 - Joy Craft & Design (near Zion National Park), Springdale, UT
6 - Westward Look Resort & Spa, Tucson, AZ
NEWS ARTICLES
This Yaqui artist makes beautiful jewelry that celebrates the desert - June 28, 2018
https://tucson.com/thisistucson/tucsonlife/this-yaqui-artist-makes-beautiful-jewelry-that-celebrates-the-desert/article_570a0b80-78ab-11e8-bcd4-f34f088623eb.html
La pasión y cultura de esta artista yaqui valen oro - July 6, 2018 https://tucson.com/laestrella/ciudad/la-pasi-n-y-cultura-de-esta-artista-yaqui-valen/article_2569e302-26f0-5064-a1ed-39ac7dbb0e0e.html
8 Tucson shops to buy handmade wedding jewelry - July 5, 2018 https://thisistucson.com/tucsonlife/weddingguide/tucson-shops-to-buy-handmade-wedding-jewelry/article_f6a68d12-7e2d-11e8-8c2d-7f13a9ef2ea8.html
