Ron Bedonie

13 products

    Ron Bedonie
    Elegant, chiseled silverwork defines Ron Bedonie's fine Navajo jewelry. His buckles, bracelets, bolas, and concha belts are distinguished by extraordinary stamping and chiseling--work that  earned him many first-prize ribbons over the years at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial competition.

    “I pressured myself into getting finely chiseled lines because it was more of a challenge," Bedonie said of his work.

    In addition to jewelry, he also created unusually shaped large and miniature containers, which were fashioned for practical use. His complex silver containers were composed of as many as 18 individual pieces when they were completed.

    Ron Bedonie began working with silver when he was 20 years old, having learned sliversmithing techniques from his parents, Lutricia Yellowhair and John Bedonie Sr. Ron’s mother Lutricia (d. 2021) was especially a major support and influence in his life. She was a highly-skilled silversmith who specialized in the feather design.

    Initially, Ron learned soldering techniques, then went on to learn stamping from his cousin, Thomas Jim. Ron was inspired to make a container after seeing one of Jim’s pieces, and he was encouraged to hone his skills by the Heard Museum and other established galleries. Ron Bedonie made his own stamps and chisels based on his sketches, and sometimes used old car parts to create his tools.

    Sadly, Ron passed away in 2024. We will miss him! An extremely talented and resourceful artist, Garland’s is proud to have been able to feature Ron Bedonie’s work over the years.

     

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