A solid fourteen carat yellow gold, turquoise and diamond ring. This is a particularly rare ring. Not only is it a hand made Native American ring, but it is also set with a diamond. It is very rare to find Native made jewellery in gold, even more so being set with a diamond. The shank is faily simple in design with a plain, smooth bezel running around the edge of the stone. However, the band features and hand formed zig zag paettern and the impressions from the sand casting.
This interlocking "S" design is known as a "Hummingbird" design. The beautiful hummingbird ring in Native American culture can symbolize joy, beauty, and good luck. Hummingbirds are also associated with love, healing, and resilience
The stone is an American mined piece of turquoise with interesting deposits and deep black matrices running through, which create this unique 'fingerprint' to the stone.It is clear to see the metal deposits in the stone when the light catches it. This makes for a beautiful combination of the classic pale blue at the one corner of the stone, and the matrix through the majority of it.
The ring was made by talented Navajo goldsmith Tim Bedah was born in 1945 at Tohatchi hospital. He was born into the Todacheenie (Bitter Water) and Kiiyanii (Towering House) clans. Tim's father, Edward Bedah, descended from a Plains Indian tribe, while his mother, Thelma Begay, was Navajo.
Tim married Marie Begay, a native of Sunrise, Arizona, and they have four adult children: Tim Jr. (Sonny), Travis, Trista, and Terrence.
Tim has had a lifelong interest in the arts, particularly painting and music. After graduating from Gallup High School in 1965, he played guitar and drums in his own country music band.
Tim learned silversmithing while working at the former Carson's Trading Post in Gallup. In 1976, he began working with gold at Don Mortensen Jewelers, an early highlight being a gold buckle he made for singer Wayne Newton.
Tim has won numerous blue ribbons for his work at the Gallup Ceremonial and Santa Fe Indian Markets. Despite his skill, most of his goldsmithing designs remain traditional in style.
The ring is handmade in American, dating circa 1970's. It is hand signed on the back, along with the "14k" stamped gold mark. The ring is a size 83/4 to 9., but can be sized, within reason, if desired.
