Ruth Ann Begay – Navajo Silver & Turquoise Jewelry Artist

About Ruth Ann Begay

Ruth Ann Begay was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when she was young, and she spent most of her life there, growing up speaking only Navajo. Her father brought the family to Albuquerque partly to get away from certain traditions of reservation life, though some traditions proved hard to shake, including the family's deep affinity for Native Indian jewelry.

Ruth Ann learned how to silversmith by watching her mother and sister make handmade silver jewelry. She began silversmithing professionally after finishing high school, starting with simple bezels and soldering before moving on to more decorative work such as leaves. Today her jewelry is genuinely diverse: she mainly makes silver jewelry, but has also created beautiful gold and turquoise jewelry over the course of her career.

Identifying Ruth Ann Begay's Work

Her hallmark reads RB.

Style & Craftsmanship

Ruth Ann's progression from simple bezels and soldering to decorative leafwork and eventually gold-and-turquoise pieces reflects a steady, self-driven growth in skill since she began working professionally right out of high school.

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