Mary Coriz Lovato, daughter
of Santiago Leo Coriz, was born to the Corn Clan. Besides raising
five sons to become accomplished silversmiths, Mary finds time
to turn out some of the finest Indian jewelry found today. Mary's
forte is inlaid shell earrings and pendants, a blend of the contemporary
and the traditional.
Her work has become the standard
by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Slivers of turquoise,
pipestone, serpentine, coral, jet, and mother-of-pearl reflect
the colors of the sun's glow and show up in all of Mary's jewelry.
Since time immemorial, the
Santo Domingo Pueblo has traded seashells from the Gulf of California
and the Pacific over regular trade routes. Pendants cut from
these glossy shells in various forms were overlaid with designs
in abalone, jet, and turquoise.
