Nathan Lefthand - @nathanlefthandjewelryart

Making jewelry has given me thousands of hours of time by myself and much like a monk, it has also given me a spiritual side, that I trust every much. My ideas for design come from my culture and from the natural world, as they are all one to me.

My name is Nathan Lefthand, I am Navajo, born on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. I was brought up around Navajo silversmiths, as it was the primary way of earning a living for many, during the big turquoise boom of the 1970s. I learned how jewelry making was done, simply by watching them make jewelry as well as spending time with an uncle who  made his living in Navajo jewelry while going to college. It was not until my years in college that I formally began to make jewelry with the guidance of a professional in a class room setting. It was then that I discovered jewelry making came to me naturally.

I have been making jewelry now for the better part of thirty years. Over that time, my work has developed a following and is sought out and collected. I do not have a set style, but have found my "way", which is a great thing to happen to an artist. I continue to change and use new ideas and stones. Turquoise is still my foundation, as I also do lapidary.