Maricopa Point

Southwestern Cross Earrings

I love the southwest! How can a person get to be my age and have never seen the Grand Canyon? I don't know, but it's true. So this year my husband and I traveled to some spots that I somehow have missed along the way. It mas May and still mercifully cool the day we drove from Las Vegas to the south rim of the canyon. One of the vistas on the southwest side of the canyon is called Maricopa Point. A beautiful name for a beautiful spot, but I was curious as to its origin. As it turns out the Maricopa are a native tribe that once lived in this area, along the Colorado River.

Our trip inspired me to design three collections, these earrings are from my Maricopa Point Collection. My first collection was called Joshua Tree, and a future one will be named for the eastern entry to Yosemite called Tioga Pass.

Maricopa pottery is still well known in the southwest. One of its characteristics is the distinctive reds and ochre, much like the colors of the Grand Canyon. This beautiful piece is from Andrea Fisher.

My native Maricopa inspired earrings focus around white copper southwestern crosses from Kristi Bowman, to which I have added colorful Czech beads for that tribal look and rustic copper accents and ear wires. Mixed metals make them more primitive looking, and I like the contrast it adds as well.







Gloria Ewing
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Chrysalis Jewelry on Artfire