Oval Navajo cluster ring with spiny oyster shell - SWS 244

Traditional Navajo cluster design ring. Set in solid sterling silver with 10 genuine orange spiny oyster shells. The artist has stamped it with his hallmark " ERB". Measuring 1" 1/2 x 1" oval. The unique round wire shank is a nice touch and makes this a comfortable ring to wear. Navajo artist Ernest Roy Begay original design E.R.B Navajo artist Ernest R. Begay Sr. was born and raised in Kayenta - Chilchinbeto, AZ in 1956. In 1975-76, Ernest took a silversmithing class at Monument Valley High School. Ernest entered some unusual pieces into the Navajo Nation Fair and the Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial, where he received many awards and ribbons. He is known for his coral and turquoise cluster work on heavy gauge silver with deep custom-designed stamp work. Spiny Oyster Shell (orange colors) Living Spondylus shells are, indeed, very spiny, but the polished product looks very smooth the most used Spondylid Bivalve shell colors include orange, reds, and purples and may include distinct striations and color variations. One also finds pink, red, brown, yellow, orange, and white on the market. The Yellow Spiny Oyster’s especially rare. In the American Oceans, the Spondylids occur along the North American coasts, as far north as North Carolina, on the Atlantic Coast, and northwestern Mexico, on the Pacific Coast. It develops in waters to South America. The Orange Spiny Oyster occurs in shallow to moderately deep waters, where snorkelers and scuba divers readily harvest them. Purple Spiny Oysters grow in deeper water, making them more difficult to find and harvest.