Like my mom, I fell in love with Southwestern and Native American jewelry years before I was ever able to visit New Mexico. Studying anthropology in school, I took as many classes in Native American culture and art as I could, and spent countless hours reading about the legacies of craftsmanship passed down and honed over generations.

For many years, I had been collecting Native American jewelry and accessories from antique shops and stores near to my home, but it wasn’t until I finally visited the Southwest for the first time in 2010 that I realized that treasure hunting directly from the source would be the most rewarding. Santa Fe, with its plethora of street vendors, galleries and stores, ranging from consignment shops to custom boutiques, and hosting traditional and contemporary artisans, is the most fertile hunting ground I’ve found for one of my greatest passions- the style of the American Southwest.