Tufa Cast Eagle Pendant

Hallmark Stamp with a bear claw for Hopi Artisan Ruben Saufkie
Tufa Cast Design and Sterling Silver

The Hopi’s mastered the art of silversmithing by 1890’s, after the Navajo Tribe. The unique texture in this piece comes from a compressed volcanic ash material known as a Tufa stone. This process is very time consuming. The tufa stone is first cut in half and rubbed together to prepare a smooth surface. A channel hole known as a sprue hole is cut out on the top to allow silver to be poured as well as extra channels to allow air holes. The artisan would start by carving out a design on the porous surface and then clap the two stones together to allow metal to be poured through the sprue hole. After the metal is finished cooling, the metal is sanded and cleaned carefully.

Handmade by Ruben Saufkie

Ruben Saufkie was born on the Hopi reservation in 1968 into the water clan. He was taught by Roy Talahaftewa who is an extremely well known Hopi jeweler. Ruben is doing a style done by very few jewelers. He has mastered the art of combining silver overlay with tufa cast. His work is precise and very clean. Ruben hallmarks his pieces with the lightning and rain symbol on the back.