McKee Platero Navajo Jewelry

McKee Platero is considered by many Navajo jewelry collectors to be a prevalent silversmith of his time. He is one of the most imaginative, technically proficient Native American artists working today.

Born in 1957 and raised in a family of silversmiths, and he lives on the Navajo Reservation South West of Gallup, New Mexico. His uncles and his grandfather were Navajo jewelers, who were known for their heavy Native American silver jewelry pieces with deep and precise stamp work.

McKee Platero Jewelry

It is told that renowned jewelry trader and collector Teal McKibben saw McKee’s jewelry at an Indian market and tried to buy all his works immediately. McKee would not sell them, however when she returned to his stall at the end of the market he had not sold one.  A visionary for potential, she purchased every item from the Navajo jeweler. For many years Teal sold McKee’s works at her Santa Fe Gallery until her passing in 2006.

McKee Platero jewelry has gained worldwide fame for its amazing designs and the brilliant mastery of working silver into incredible works of wearable art. Platero’s jewelry harnesses his ancestor’s traditional imagery, yet appears contemporary at the same time. His hand stamping is unique in that it is always a little deeper than most other Native American jewelry.

McKee Platero still uses the traditional method of hand hammering silver. His choice of materials include ingot silver, red brass, and set stones of Spiny Oyster, coral and Sleeping Beauty turquoise. His beautiful jewelry designs express the spirituality of the Navajo people in a modern contemporary form.

Silver Plume International Online Gallery

Is proud to offer a collection of works by arguably the most prevalent Native American Silversmith working today.