2011 IACA Artist of the Year

Navajo Jeweler

I'm really quite surprised by the honor!" says Plummer who has been a member of IACA since 2002. "You never know when something like this is going to happen, but it's good that it did."

Earl's victory is definitely a sign of one's luck taking a turn for the better. Just last year, the jeweler had suffered a severe injury to his hand, costing him the ability to make a living in 2010.

Earl is of the Salt Clan and Edge of the Water Clan. He was born Gallup and lives in Thoreau, New Mexico, with his wife Jennifer and his daughter and three sons. Earl began making jewelry at age 14 after watching and learning from family members. He started with simple stamp work and has progressed to his fine sculpted inlay work of today. He has mastered cobble, mosaic, channel inlay. He works in both silver and gold and uses natural turquoise and precious and semi-precious gemstones in his pieces, including coral, lapis, sugelite, black jade, tiger's eye, picture jasper, malachite and more.

The award-winning necklace is a testament to his one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. He uses high grade Morenci turquoise in an elegant contemporay Squash Blossom, using the cobblestone inlay technique. The blossoms are inspired by the ketoh (bow guard). You will often see this design in the classic ketohs.

Taking many of his design ideas from nature, Earl Plummer has won numerous awards over the years including prizes at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, the Santa Fe Indian Market, as well as the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market. Earl's work has been featured in galleries throughout the United States such as the Home and Away Gallery (ME), Wright's Indian Art Gallery (NM), Nanibah Gallery (AZ), The Indian Craft Shop (DC), Danny's Jewelry (AZ). Hoels Indian Shop (AZ) and Arches Trading Post (UT).