A timeless stone, turquoise jewelry from any decade is always in style.
Turquoise is as quintessential to Western fashion as the cowboy hat. The stone’s color may vary based on the mine, but turquoise can always tie an outfit together, making it the ultimate accessory.
“Trends come and go, but traditional turquoise jewelry is forever,” says Callie Callison, owner of Calli Co. Silver. “I have pieces that I wear from each of the last seven decades, and they’re still fashionable today. If that doesn’t say ultimate accessory, I don’t know what does.”
Although Callison makes many of the pieces she sells, she did not learn the art of silversmithing until she was an adult. Growing up, she peered over the side of her uncle’s bench and would sometimes get the lucky task of scrubbing the grime and polishing off of the finished jewelry pieces. But despite this, she didn’t learn to silversmith until later in life, after graduating from Oklahoma State University and working in accounting for seven years. At that point she took some time off to spend with her then-91-year-old grandmother and learned to silversmith as a hobby.
“I picked up a torch intending to silversmith as a hobby, but fast forward to today and Calli Co. Silver is my full-time gig,” Callison explains. The business skyrocketed Callison out of a corner of her garage into her studio, but she contracts with other Navajo and Zuni artists.
“Unfortunately, silversmithing as a trade has been declining,” Callison says of her art. “Families aren’t passing it down as they used to, and unless you inherit your tools and techniques, the opportunities to learn are few and far between.” She encourages people to buy traditional turquoise jewelry to keep the art and history alive.
“Turquoise is timeless. Our handmade pieces are treasures that you can pass down for generations,” Callison says. She emphasizes building your turquoise collection with that in mind. She also suggests that when looking for traditional turquoise pieces to start one’s collection, consider what style you would wear most often. “Start with pieces you’ll wear and enjoy regularly. Find a favorite style, artist, or mine and use that as a building block to build your collection around,” Callison says.
Turquoise jewelry can tie an outfit together or add Western flair to an ensemble. Therefore, it’s the perfect accessory for all Western fashion, any time of year.
Check out more of Calli Co. Silver's jewelry at callicosilver.com.
Photography: courtesy Calli Co. Silver
