works, she and Bob reached out to several clients asking for bracelets and rings to be loaned short-term. Many refused, saying their ring or bracelet had become such a part of their person that they could not imagine living without it even for a day.
The process of creating a piece is truly Nequatewa’s own. Already discussed was the importance of the stone and the process by which Verma engages with it. But it is also important to note that Nequatewa never starts with a drawing, with the color of stones indicated or their placement identified. “All is,” she says, pointing to her mind, “up here.” It is another way in which Verma’s work stands apart: always the piece is revealing itself during the process of creation through the stones and their relationship with others of different shapes and colors. This is why she spends so much time, examining and placing stones in relation to their shape and color. It is also why she is very careful in polishing the stones. Nequatewa wants to make sure they are not over polished, as is the case with so many other artists who work with inlay.
Aside from these general approaches, Verma also works consciously to ensure that none of her final pieces are just square or flat. “It can’t be perfectly straight,” she says. “There needs to be a bend or something else so it will have life.” If very straight, she views it as being “cold.” Moreover, Nequatewa also believes it is very important to be constantly improving – a space or alignment or lesson learned can be used in the next piece. Such serves as a reminder that one must continue to improve, both as a person and as a jeweler.
Taken together, these approaches are why Sonwai does not worry about people copying her design. She truly believes, as did her uncle, the pieces are too unique to be reproduced. And as such, the two of them agree on the only way to view such attempts to copy their work: it is a compliment.
The Technical Process of Making a Piece
The technical process by which Nequatewa makes a piece of inlay or tufa jewelry is well documented in Visions of Sonwai: Verma Nequatewa,1 written and developed by Annie Osburn. It would be best if people purchased the book, both to gain a deeper understanding of Sonwai and to give credit to the work of
Nequatewa and Osburn. However, as Verma provided us with a copy the book to better understand her technical approach, it becomes in summary an important source for readers to understand the thoughtful and personal expertise that goes into each piece.
When making an inlay piece, such as a bracelet, Nequatewa starts with a single sheet of flat 18 karat gold – which she then sizes in width and aligns with two smaller pieces that provide the depth needed to create the bezel in which the stones will be placed, submitting it to an acid bath and cold water. Heating and bending – even pounding it into place with a rawhide
mallet – Verma can create the frame for stones. But more work is required prior to selecting the stones: the bracelet itself must be refined, so there are no rough edges.
1 Osborn Annie. Visions of Sonwai: Verma Nequatewa (Hotevilla, Arizona: Sonwai Inc., 2007
The process often starts with a stone or a piece of gold. Verma believes the stone reveals its true form, and that it is the stone which “actually tells you how to make a piece of jewelry.”
73