Bruce Joe Handmade Jewelry

About The Artist

Bruce Joe is a traditional jewelry artist who lives and works in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. A member of the Diné (Navajo) Tribe, he creates exquisite pieces of art that reflect his culture’s antiquities. His unique style emanates good blessings and expresses the essence of Diné identity. As Bruce explains, “Art is a part of my life ever since I was a kid. I was introduced to art by my grandma and my mother. They were both rug weavers. Today, their legacy lives through me. Over the years, I have grown to learn more about creating one-of-a-kind pieces by using various techniques and materials.”

Through the years, Bruce's artwork continues to receive remarkable recognition from new and returning customers, art organizations, art collectors, and various individuals from around the world. He says, “some of my artwork has traveled to various locations and what an honor it is to see returning customers at some of my art shows...to see them again wanting more jewelry made by me.”

As an eminent traditional jewelry artist, Bruce has won numerous 1st's, 2nd, and 3rd awards along with “best of show” acknowledgments. His artwork is showcased in exhibitions such as the Autry Museum of The American West located in Los Angeles, California.

Bruce's History

Since 2006, Bruce has been dedicated to hand-crafting unique pieces of art from various types of precious stones, while implementing new designs.

As he states, "My work is pictorial inlay. I start by free-hand drawing images on a sheet of paper, then transfer those drawings on to a piece of sterling silver. Once the drawing is placed, I hand-saw out each piece so they can be soldered onto bigger pieces of sterling silver. After the soldering, I inlay each piece carefully and delicately. The last step is buffing the inlaid piece."

Although Bruce specializes in intricate inlay designs, he produces channel inlay, overlay, traditional jewelry and stringing. He is well versed in the jewelry atmosphere.

Behind the Inlay

Bruce takes pride in every jewelry piece he hand-crafts. When he sees someone wearing his "one-of-a-kind" jewelry, he feels honored.

The image displayed are the basic materials that Bruce uses to create the vibrant colors for his inlay. Bruce says "These materials are very important and sacred because they are used in our traditional ceremonies. Many of our indigenous people have used it for centuries--even as of today, many indigenous artists have respect when utilizing these materials for making jewelry."