"Steve Arviso" making jewelry Native American(Navajo) jewelry artist 

We all put a lot of time and hard work onto our pieces

It’s probably wood ash. It’s an old native technique.

@@sachavan Is wood ash typically green and gritty? I'd love to know more about this technique, perhaps it's to make a sort of sandblasted matte look? Does anybody (reading these comments) know?

I also would like to know what Mr. Arviso was using!

Nothing like handmade by a master silversmith

Part of why native jewelry is so expensive also is the turquoise. Turquoise with matrix, or polychrome turquoise, especially natural or high grade stabilized, or gem grade natural, can run tbe artist up to $10 a gram if they are buying cabochons. Sk they factor that into the price they choose to charge.

I don't think its an abrasive, but something like a patina to help the designs darken and stand out more. It makes it look more vintage. I'm wondering too, but that's my best guess.

I'm. A prqc5icing silversmith and this happens more often than you think (or at least for honest silversmiths who guarantee quality work, usually those who feel that the jewelry they are making is a reflection of the character of th3 person making it). I always use good turquoise, and because of this, I always make something beautiful that I don't want to part with because so much of my precious energy went into making my peice beautiful.

Some silversmith artists can easily part with their work because they are in it for the money. For them, it may take about two days to put out like twenty rings of varying quality. For me, and other silversmiths like me, sometimes it will take me two days to make one ring because I'm making 3verything perfect. I hammer out my silver and I cut my own turquoise stones, my heart and soul goes into my pieces. Ans I love to keep my stuff heavy. Heavy jewelry is a preference for most natives.

Could be chromium oxide powder, it's a polishing compound.

It’s ash!

SOUTHWEST channel Thank you 🙏

Looks like chromium oxide

It's just ashes. The reason it looks greenish is b3cause he doesn't change it out. It's nice to leave the ash greenish looking due to the oxidation coming off from the silver, it also adds a dark hue to areas that you want the oxidation to be. I'm not sure if it applies ro all diné silversmiths, but I also use ashes because in our native tradition, when you want to protect yourself from spirits and negative energy, you can rub a little bit of ashes on yourself. When I polish my rings or pendants with it, I'm also giving it a cleansing and a blessing for the person who purchases it, b3cause I want my customers to get something with clean energy.

I think chrome oxide..I just picked up a jar from Thunderbird

@@wade8067 Is your chrome oxide green? So many people are saying it's ash. Ash that I am familiar with is light grey and powdery like talc, not of weight, like the green stuff he's using. Its such a bummer that these videos are made and no (clear and concise) answers are ever given, no response from the artists - at least that I've seen. They want you to watch and subscribe but then drop the ball.on 2-way communication. Wade, I appreciate you sharing what you think/know it is, thank you.

@@flyingcheff yea the green one. Just know when you rub it on finished cabs, it can collect in the smallest crevice like in the matrix. Even if you use a soft fine brush some areas you can't reach. I tried Saphire powder and like the polish it gives my turquoise cabs.

Flying chef, it is indeed ash. Why it looks green is because it's ooooold ash that he keeps using over and over. After a while, after continuously recycling it, it gets black, which I feel is a desirable anyway, the carbon from the ash acts like a very fine polish, and the black from the ash helps to add a little more depth to that vintage look IN ADDITION to the oxidation of the silver. It's an old native trick that I noticed a lot of my generation of natives are not familiar with. I'm practicing to be a silversmith, and my gosh, when you put that much effort into a piece of jewelry, it's always hard to let go. Especially if you are always picking tbe best kind of turquoise that catches your eye.

Beautifully made. So confident with the techniques used. Inspires me to keep working to improve my techniques. What was placed in the setting under the cabochon before setting. I’ve not seen this before?

I've seen these older silversmiths at work, and they have very good heavy ventilation going through their workplace. Which is why they live loooong years doing this type of work.