{"product_id":"silver-cadence-by-stephen-begay","title":"Silver Cadence by Stephen Begay","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOkay, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteven Begay changes the entire read of this necklace.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat looked at first like a beautifully restrained silver strand suddenly makes perfect sense. Begay was exceptionally good at knowing when to stop. Long polished tubes, compressed saucer beads, those tiny black-and-silver interruptions—and essentially nothing here that doesn’t contribute to the rhythm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e24 inches and 60 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, it’s Steven Begay doing something deceptively difficult: making silver feel architectural without making it feel heavy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWHY THIS PIECE MATTERS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteven Joe Begay was an award-winning Navajo jeweler who worked in silver and gold beginning in the 1970s and became particularly associated with sophisticated contemporary design and overlay work. His jewelry has been represented by established Native American galleries, and his career included major recognition at Santa Fe Indian Market.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis necklace shows another side of that design intelligence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere is no stone here to carry the composition. Instead, Begay works almost entirely with proportion and repetition. Long tubular forms create open stretches of polished silver; groups of saucer beads compress the rhythm; small dark-striped elements interrupt it at carefully chosen points.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s Southwestern jewelry reduced to line, volume and movement—and it still unmistakably feels handmade.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eARTIFACT REGISTRY\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtifact Name:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Silver Cadence\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaker:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Steven Joe Begay\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTribe:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Navajo\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Sterling silver\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLength:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 24 inches\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 60 grams\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConstruction:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Handmade silver tube and saucer-form beads with contrasting striped accent elements\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEra:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Vintage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollector’s Gallery Value:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e$2900\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCURATOR’S FIELD OBSERVATION\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe asymmetry is fantastic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBegay doesn’t simply alternate one tube with one group of beads and repeat the formula around the necklace. The intervals change. Clusters expand and contract. Long polished sections give the eye somewhere to rest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat subtle variation is what keeps an extremely minimal necklace from becoming boring.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s also beautifully wearable at 24 inches. This can exist completely on its own, but its clean architecture makes it an absurdly good foundation for a serious pendant.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eERIC’S NOTES FROM THE FIELD\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the kind of piece that explains why \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esimple and easy are absolutely not the same thing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are like three ideas happening here.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTube. Saucer. Stripe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd Steven Begay somehow got an entire necklace out of them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat’s design.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47825139564721,"sku":null,"price":1895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0153\/9641\/files\/13FC5DD5-1EFD-4CB1-8E79-77EAE02230DD.jpg?v=1786119801","url":"https:\/\/hespera.com\/products\/silver-cadence-by-stephen-begay","provider":"Hespera Jewelry Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}