Native American goldsmith Charles Loloma

Native American goldsmith Charles Loloma (1921-1971)
Third Mesa, Arizona based goldsmith Charles Loloma stood firmly in the tradition of contemporary American gold smithing. He studied ceramics at the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University in upstate New York, but moved into jewelry making in the 1950s. For more than twenty years he traveled the world both to teach and to study. True to his original vision, Loloma used to say “I could appreciate what was done in Egypt, but when I got home, I did my own designs”.
For a thousand years, Loloma and his ancestors have lived in the Hopi village. A member of the Badger Clan of the Hopi Nation, Loloma’s distinctive Native American style springs from the combination of artistry, materials, and imagination. Jewelry pieces created by the artist is the essence of the Hopi in Loloma, the closeness with the land, the connection with his tribe and his traditions.
Traditionally, Loloma used gold, sterling silver, turquoise, coral, ironwood, and ivory, lapis and other natural stones. He artfully signed his pieces “Loloma”. The jeweler has created truly timeless museum worth designs, which are highly collectible now.
Loloma died in 1991 at the age of 70.

Native American goldsmith Charles Loloma