Vintage Modernist Turquoise Ring by Alberto Contreras Senior

Here's a dramatic modernist turquoise ring by Alberto Contreras Senior. The silver ring is so simple yet the turquoise nugget stone with it's copious amounts of sparkling pyrite sitting in the wavy handmade bezel turn it into something profound.

While Alberto Contreras was not Native American, his work is only a few degrees separated from some of the great modernist Native jewelry - Contreras Sr. was trained by master silversmith Frank Patania Sr. in the late 1940's. Frank Patania Sr. influenced and was heavily influenced by the Native American jewelers employed by his Thunderbird Shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Perhaps you've heard of Lewis Lomay or Julian Lovato? 

This rare ring is a size 7 ¾. Its spectacular face measures 1 5/8” with a little bit of height on it. Hallmarked on the reverse. The ring is from an important collection of Southwestern Native American jewelry.