{"product_id":"lady-of-the-hidden-spring","title":"Lady of the Hidden Spring by Ronald Tom","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI have a bad habit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf a piece has a face, I’ll end up talking to it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI don’t even realize I’m doing it anymore. I’ll pick something up and before long I’m standing there saying, “Alright… what’s your story?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMost of the time the answer is pretty straightforward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“This is a nice vintage pendant.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I’m an old Zuni pin.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“I’ve been waiting fifty years for somebody to appreciate me.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis cuff wasn’t interested in answering.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe more I looked at her, the more she felt like the kind of person who’s perfectly comfortable letting silence do the talking. Ronald Tom didn’t make a maiden who’s trying to impress anyone. He made someone completely at peace with herself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomewhere between studying the turquoise and tracing the silverwork, I realized I’d stopped looking at a bracelet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI was looking at a portrait.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy This Piece Matters\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRonald Tom has a gift for creating jewelry that feels deeply personal. His work blends traditional Navajo silversmithing with sculptural composition, producing pieces that are unmistakably his while remaining rooted in the traditions that inspire them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis cuff was custom made exclusively for Hespera, making it a unique commission rather than a production piece. The substantial sterling cuff, carefully layered silverwork, and beautifully balanced turquoise centerpiece create a work that feels both timeless and distinctly contemporary.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt isn’t simply a beautiful cuff.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s a character captured in silver.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Registry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaker:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Ronald Tom\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Navajo Nation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sterling Silver \u0026amp; Natural Turquoise\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eForm:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Maiden Cuff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 103 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 6.75” with flexibility for a comfortable fit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCommission:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Custom made exclusively for Hespera\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Contemporary\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$2,800–$3,400\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCurator’s Field Observation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat impresses me most about this bracelet is Ronald’s restraint.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA lesser artist might have filled every inch of this cuff with decoration. Instead, he allows the broad sterling band to become negative space, giving the maiden room to command the composition without ever overwhelming it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLook closely and you’ll see layers of traditional techniques working together: crisp hand stamping, repoussé elements that create depth, carefully applied twisted wire, silver drops, and hand-fabricated overlays that naturally guide your eye toward the center. Nothing feels crowded. Every detail supports the whole.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe turquoise is equally thoughtful. Its vivid blue-green body, softened by drifting matrix, doesn’t merely decorate the figure—it anchors her. The stone becomes the emotional center of the bracelet, giving the composition warmth, life, and quiet strength.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is one of those pieces that rewards patience. Every time you come back to it, another thoughtful detail reveals itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Character Record\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLady of the Hidden Spring\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSome people walk into a room and demand attention.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShe never has.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePeople simply find themselves standing a little closer, speaking a little softer, and leaving with better answers than the ones they arrived with.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTemperament:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Patient enough to let others discover the truth on their own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKnown For:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Listening far longer than she speaks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGift:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Finding calm where everyone else sees chaos.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBelief:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e The strongest currents are often the quietest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf she could leave you with one thought…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Not every journey needs a map.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes it only needs the courage to take the next step.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEric’s Notes from the Field\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the things I love most about working with Ronald is that he doesn’t just make jewelry—he creates personalities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen we asked him to make custom pieces for Hespera, I wanted work that felt unmistakably like Ronald Tom while also becoming part of our own story. This cuff is exactly that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s substantial without feeling heavy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDetailed without becoming busy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eElegant without ever feeling delicate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMost importantly, she’s memorable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLong after you forget the weight, the measurements, or even the turquoise, I have a feeling you’ll still remember her face.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd to me, that’s the mark of an artist who’s doing something special.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47815934410929,"sku":null,"price":1250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/Lady_of_the_Hidden_Spring_by_Ronald_Tom.webp?v=1785865366","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/lady-of-the-hidden-spring","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}