What New Year’s wish could we make for the Southwestern Indian jewelry industry? Perhaps the most pertinent wish would be an overall improvement in the U.S. economy. The kind of recovery that would resonate with Main Street rather than Wall Street. Making a living as an artist, regardless of region or ethnicity, always has its perils. But recent studies sound a note of alarm over the future. Young collectors haven’t materialized as yet. Reputable dealers report tourist sales but less repeat orders as those tourists move on to the next destination. The black market still haunts legitimate jewelers and dealers who face suspicious customers—“Are these materials real? This price is rather high for something I’d wear as costume jewelry.” When enthusiasts view a market where they see the same designs repeated over every year interest will invariably wane.

On the other hand, a trend we’ve noticed and appreciated is how Native artists are calling their creations “fine art,” rather than the non-Native scholarly label of “decorative arts.” Like the term Native Style, this new definition is one that should be respected and implemented.

Fact: Most adornment for sale on the Indian arts marketplace is much more than craft work; these pieces are wearable art.

Happy 2016! May we all walk in beauty.