Anderson Cadman – Navajo Silversmith Profile & Hallmark Guide

About Anderson Cadman

Anderson Cadman is a Navajo silversmith originally from Twin Lakes, New Mexico, a small community in the heart of Navajo Nation known for producing generations of skilled metalworkers. What sets Anderson's story apart is the direction his training came from: rather than learning at the hands of a parent or grandparent, as is most common in Navajo silversmithing families, Anderson was taught by his own stepson, David Reeves. This kind of cross-generational, in-law mentorship speaks to how tightly interwoven silverworking knowledge is within these extended Southwest families — skills move sideways and across marriages just as often as they move down a family line.

Anderson sits at the center of a remarkably large and accomplished silversmithing family. He is the father of three jewelers in his own right — Andy, Darrell, and Donovan Cadman — and stepfather to David, Gary, and Sunshine Reeves, several of whom have gone on to earn individual recognition for their own work, including awards at major shows like the Santa Fe Indian Market. Collectors who appreciate one branch of this family's jewelry often find themselves drawn to the others as well, since techniques and stylistic sensibilities tend to echo across the group while each artist develops their own signature touch.

Identifying Anderson Cadman's Work

Anderson signs his pieces with a cursive hallmark reading A. Cadman. Collectors authenticating a piece should look for this signature stamped discreetly into the silver, often near the clasp, on the reverse of a bezel, or along an interior band — typical placements for Navajo silversmith hallmarks that keep the mark visible without disrupting the piece's front-facing design.

Style & Craftsmanship

Anderson's jewelry reflects the classic heavy-gauge Navajo tradition: clean lines, confident stamp work, and a level of construction built to hold up for decades of everyday wear. This is jewelry meant to be lived in rather than simply displayed — a hallmark (in every sense) of traditional Navajo silverwork, where durability has always been as valued as visual appeal.

Shop Nativo Arts

Explore our current selection of vintage and handcrafted Native American jewelry, including pieces by artists in the Cadman and Reeves family of silversmiths.