MULTI-STONE PENDANT BY DUANE MAKTIMA (LAGUNA)
$2,100.00
SKU
221203073
STERLING SILVER PENDANT INLAID WITH ITHICA PEAK TURQUOISE, OPAL, AND ROSARITA BY DUANE MAKTIMA (LAGUNA)
Duane Maktima earned his BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) in metalsmithing from Northern Arizona University and has been making jewelry for over 30 years. Major elements of his style include richly textured metal surfaces and striking stone inlay combinations. He currently resides outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Rosarita is a unique material that is actually a by-product of gold refining processes used prior to the 1960's. Alaskan beach sand was smelted for its gold content, leaving behind a glassy material known as slag. This slag is largely formed of silica, which is the same material that forms quartz crystals and has been used to create glass since ancient times.
This left over slag was cut into stones for costume jewelry and pieces such as carvings in the 1940's-70's. Rosarita is set apart from the other forms of slag by its rich red color, which comes from the gold particles left behind from the refining process. This red color also grants the material its name.
Gold refining processes have become more efficient at removing any gold content from the material smelted since the 1960's, which means the slag by-product no longer contains the gold traces, leaving a colorless glass material behind, without the deep, rich red that makes Rosarita so desirable. This makes Rosarita an increasingly rare and highly collectable material.
measurements: 2 1/2" long x 1 1/2" wide
Duane Maktima earned his BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) in metalsmithing from Northern Arizona University and has been making jewelry for over 30 years. Major elements of his style include richly textured metal surfaces and striking stone inlay combinations. He currently resides outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Rosarita is a unique material that is actually a by-product of gold refining processes used prior to the 1960's. Alaskan beach sand was smelted for its gold content, leaving behind a glassy material known as slag. This slag is largely formed of silica, which is the same material that forms quartz crystals and has been used to create glass since ancient times.
This left over slag was cut into stones for costume jewelry and pieces such as carvings in the 1940's-70's. Rosarita is set apart from the other forms of slag by its rich red color, which comes from the gold particles left behind from the refining process. This red color also grants the material its name.
Gold refining processes have become more efficient at removing any gold content from the material smelted since the 1960's, which means the slag by-product no longer contains the gold traces, leaving a colorless glass material behind, without the deep, rich red that makes Rosarita so desirable. This makes Rosarita an increasingly rare and highly collectable material.
measurements: 2 1/2" long x 1 1/2" wide