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Ernest Begay Bio

I was born and raised in Kayenta - Chilchinbeto Arizona, but now live in Breadsprings NM. with my wife Readda, our twins, Ernest Jr. & Faith Begay.

Back in 1975-76 I took silversmithing class at Monument Valley high school. "We used copper in the class, but that's where I got my start. I took the class because it looked like something fun and easy to do. I used to watch my father and his father make jewelry, they use to give me scrap silver to work with."

After high school, I went to work for the Peabody coal company, in Kayenta, Az., and then for P&M colmine outside of Window Rock, AZ., that put making jewelry on the side. My career in jewelry making didn't really take off until I entered some rather distinguished pieces in the Navajo Nation Fair and the Gallup Intertribal Indian Ceremonial.

"I got some ribbons there: Best in Show, Best in category, First, Second, and a few Third place. After all that, things really picked up for me. I had to quit my job at the mine, to work on making jewelry full time."

Over the years, I have slowly built a reputations for coral and turquoise cluster work on heavy guage silver with deep custom-designed stamp work. "I really feel my work is unique. that's why I got the blue ribbons because it was something like the old style--using thick silver--and different from all the other pieces."

Concho belts, Squash Blossoms, Bracelets, Necklaces, rings, Earrings, and Belt Buckles, I do them all in my own signature old style series.

"This old style jewelry always caught my eye, I used to go to the Trading Posts just to look at some of the old pawn on display. The ones that caught my attention were always the pieces that used the thick silver, and the stamp work on them."

I also do some great pieces in 14K gold, contemporary and old style. Besides having a great career as a silversmith, I also have a Guitar band, we play all throughout the reservation and off, declaring the good nes of the Gospel.