The strong regional silversmithing tradition has influenced contemporary jewelry design in subtle ways. There is a spare, forceful quality to many of these works, making them seem like sculptures on an intimate scale.
Materials are of paramount importance, including stones native to the area.
Visitors find New Mexico jewelers stunningly original, setting trends rather than following fashion. There is so much fine art in this medium, along with the plethora of Indian jewelry, that it is truly a collector's paradise. New Mexico boasts an ancient tradition of wearable art. Its native peoples had brought their handcrafted costumes and everyday clothing to a level of esthetic perfection before the first Europeans arrived. That tradition still influences every phase of contemporary wearable art, from elegant garments made of Pendleton blankets to the most heavily embroidered unique pieces.