Zuni jewelers Samuel and Esther Guardian are a married couple who have been making inlaid jewelry for decades.  The stones in this sweet hummingbird ring include red coral, malachite, abalone, jet, serpentine, Mother of Pearl, and turquoise.  More about hummingbirds (love medicine) and channel inlay below.

Size: 3 - Setting 1.5" L x .5" W

Hummingbirds are fierce defenders of their families.  Many Indigenous people consider them to be messengers between this world and the spirit world.  And, in some tribes they are considered to be “love medicine”.

Channel inlay jewelry is a process used extensively by Native American jewelers, particularly those in Zuni Pueblo.  Many other talented jewelers from other tribes in the Southwest also make channel inlay jewelry.  The metal channel, usually silver, is soldered onto the back to create the design.  Afterward, the stones are cut to fit into each section.  It is an exacting process which shows in the beauty of the work of the finished piece(s).