Thunderbird Silver & Gold Pendant by David Neel

 

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#westcoastnativejewelry

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#westcoastnativejewelry

www.davidneelstudio.com

Diamond Rings & Engagement Bands by First Nations artist David Neel

Raven the trickster, is going to surprise someone on Christmas.

Raven gold ring with a princess cut diamond.

 

 

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I made this piece for a special customer who has been commission pieces for over 20 years. He always comes to me with good ideas.

Octopus & Eagle pendant, silver & abalone shell / hand engraving & repousse

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#westcoastnativejewelry

 

Customers seem to prefer viewing pieces in a video format. And all these years I have been doing photographs. 

Copper / Eagle pendant, in silver, 14K gold, abalone shell & black diamonds

 

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Many people have asked to see the back of the pendants that I post, so I thought that a video may be the best way to view my work.
Thunderbird pendant, hand engraving & repousse, in silver & gold

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The Hummingbird is known for its grace and beauty, and is one of the most popular First Nations animal symbols for wedding rings.

Hummingbird gold band with a princess cut diamond.

 

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#promiseRing

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www.davidneelstudio.com

 

 

 

When you really want to make a statement to someone special, a gold Raven Engagement ring with a diamond.

 

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#promiseRing

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According to Kwakwaka’wakw tradition, the copper is a symbol of wealth, and is an important part of the potlatch culture. Each one has a name, a history and a value. They gain value as they are traded, bought, sold and gifted within the feast system.

Eagle Copper pendant, silver, gold, abalone shell & black diamonds.

                                                                                                                   

 

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Yesterday, this was just a block of wood from a 500 year-old red cedar tree. Today, there are so many possibilities; it can be carved into any character from the ancient stories. It was almost 40 years ago when Beau Dick & Wayne Alfred showed me how to rough-out a mask from block of wood. I was young then, and I did not realize how fortunate I was to learn from two of the masters.

 

I am undecided where to go with this mask. Who do you see in this rough chunk of

cedar?

 

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The Thunderbird is my favorite design. It is my family’s main crest, and represents the first ancestor, from myth-time, when supernatural beings came down from above and lived & had children with the first people.

Thunderbird pendant, silver & gold, 1-3/4” diameter, hand engraving & repousse

 

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#indigenousjewelry

#westcoastnativejewelry

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#westcoastnativejewelry

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Happy Indigenous Peoples Day to all the First People of North America. A little more than a hundred years ago we were referred to as the Vanishing Race. The way things are going, it looks like we may outlast the Dominant Culture!

 

#nativeAmerican

#indigenousPeoplesDay

#firstNations

#firstPeople

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As a jeweler, I am honored to make pieces that symbolize important events and occasions. A pendant that I made for a special customer, to honor the passing of his brother.

Eagle Pendant, silver & abalone shell.

 

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The Raven is a complex character in First Nations traditional stories. He is ruthlessly selfish, although some of his deeds & misdeeds, such as creating the salmon, end up being beneficial.

Raven pendant, silver with gold accents.

 

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A new piece in my floral design series.

Orca & Orchid pendant, silver with sapphires.

 

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Something different with a Raven, the trickster combined with a floral design.

Silver with ruby settings.

 

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Two views of the Wild Man of the Woods mask, also known as the Bukwis. He is the Chief of the Ghosts, & if he tricks you into eating his food you are destined to stay in the Land of the Ghosts for eternity.

 

Man Transforming into a Wild Man mask

 

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The Butterfly is an important symbol in Northwest Native stories. After the great deluge it revealed to the first ancestors that there was dry land.

Butterfly ring, white / yellow gold, & a ruby.

 

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I am working on a series of pendants in this style, combining repousse with engraving.

Raven the Trickster pendant, sterling silver & abalone shell, 1-34” diameter.   

 

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#RavenJewelry

#indigenousjewelry

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#nativeamericanjewelry

#northwestcoastnativejewelry

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#westcoastnativejewelry

 

The Raven is one of the most popular animal symbols for wedding and engagement rings. This one is for a surprise marriage proposal.

Raven white gold & diamond ring

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#NativeEngagementRing  

#diamondRing

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I had a bit of difficulty getting this piece right, as sometimes the final look is not what I envisioned. But it is finished, after some trial and error.

Raven Falling from the Sky-World mask.

 

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A Raven & Sun pendant in progress. The repousse is complete, now to solder a cover on the back, inlay the abalone shell, & finally the cross hatching.

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#Mythology

#RavenReleasingtheSun

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In ancient tales, the Loon is more than just a bird—it’s a gateway to other realms. It guides heroes beneath the sea or into mystical mountains, opening doors to supernatural worlds.

Loon pendant, Sterling silver, hand engraved with repousse.

 

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#Mythology

#Loon

#indigenousjewelry

#westcoastnativejewelry

#firstnationsjewelry

#nativeamericanjewelry

#northwestcoastnativejewelry

#firstnationsjewelryartists

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I just learned that my print, Trial of Tears, will be in a Canada Council exhibition in Ottawa, CA. Created in 1991, it symbolizes the historic First Nations, Delgamuukw,  land claim trial in British Columbia, CA. Starting in the 1980’s I created a number of pieces about historic First Nations issues & events, and it is great that people are able to see them today through the lens of history.

 

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#westcoastnativegraphic

 

A tribute to my ancestor, the great artist Chief Mungo Martin.

Thunderbird pendant - sterling silver, sapphires.

 

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#westcoastnativejewelry

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#westcoastnativejewelry

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Working on something different, a Raven design incorporating a floral element

Raven pendant, silver with rubies

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#indigenousjewelry

#westcoastnativejewelry

#firstnationsjewelry

#nativeamericanjewelry

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A gift for a customer, who, like me, appreciates a design on a wide bracelet.

Family of Eagles bracelet, silver with oxidization

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#indigenousjewelry

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#firstnationsjewelry

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