Lily Yazzie – Generational Navajo Pearl Silversmith

Lily Yazzie is a Diné (Navajo) silversmith known for her beautifully handcrafted Navajo pearl jewelry. Her work reflects the long tradition of Navajo silverwork while continuing the artistic legacy of the well-known Yazzie family of jewelers.

Lily comes from a family deeply connected to Native American jewelry making. The Yazzie family has produced multiple generations of artists working in sterling silver, turquoise, and other traditional materials. For many Navajo families, jewelry making has long been both an art form and a livelihood. Earlier generations of the Yazzie family often created jewelry at home and brought their work to trading posts and markets throughout the Southwest. Growing up surrounded by silversmiths and the tools of the trade, Lily developed an appreciation for jewelry making early in life and eventually began creating her own work.

Today, Lily Yazzie is particularly known for her Navajo pearls, also called bench beads. Despite the name, Navajo pearls are not pearls but handmade sterling silver beads that are individually crafted by the silversmith. Each bead begins as two small discs of sterling silver that are shaped into domes and carefully soldered together to form a hollow bead. The bead is then filed, polished, and sometimes oxidized before being strung into necklaces or bracelets.

Her Navajo pearl strands are admired for their balance and craftsmanship. Lily often creates necklaces with beautifully graduated bead sizes that allow the strand to drape naturally when worn. The consistent shaping and smooth finish of the beads reflect the patience and precision required to produce traditional handmade Navajo pearls.

Because Navajo pearls are made bead by bead, they have characteristics that distinguish them from machine-made beads. Authentic handmade Navajo pearls typically show a faint seam where the two halves of the bead were soldered together, and slight variations in size or shape may be visible from bead to bead. These subtle differences are part of what makes each strand unique and are a sign of genuine hand craftsmanship.

Unlike many other forms of Native American jewelry, Navajo pearl strands are not always stamped with an artist’s hallmark. Because a necklace is composed of many individual beads rather than a single silver surface, artists often do not place a maker’s mark on the piece. For this reason, Lily Yazzie’s jewelry is often recognized through the quality of her craftsmanship and the trusted provenance of the piece rather than a signature stamp.

Through her work, Lily Yazzie continues the tradition of Navajo silversmithing while contributing to the ongoing artistic legacy of the Yazzie family. Her Navajo pearl necklaces and bracelets remain timeless examples of handmade Diné jewelry—each bead shaped by hand and each strand reflecting generations of skill, tradition, and artistry.

Lily Yazzie

Sterling Silver Handmade Navajo Pearls 11mm 18"

$775.00$697.50

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