Mia Zaara Hamdouni · Navajo & Tunisian
Mia Zaara Hamdouni is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and of Tunisian descent. Her jewelry draws on both sides of that heritage—Navajo tradition, Mediterranean design, and the desert landscapes they share.
Jewelry runs in her family. Her great-grandfather was a respected Navajo community leader, medicine man, and silversmith. She learned design from her mother, a jewelry designer who ran a shop in downtown Santa Fe, and learned stones from her uncle, a respected turquoise expert.
“I grew up sitting on the floor watching my mom make jewelry and run her shop in downtown Santa Fe. Being exposed to all of that gave me an eye for well-designed pieces. My line is feminine, made for women looking for elegant fine jewelry.”
— Mia Zaara Hamdouni
Her pieces are made for everyday wear rather than loud statements, and she works in gold and diamonds—materials not traditionally associated with American Indian jewelry. Alongside her Native roots, she draws on her Tunisian heritage, especially its mosaics and Mediterranean color.
That blend of North African and Native influence has one notable precedent in Southwestern jewelry: Eveli Sabatie, who was born in Algeria, grew up in Morocco, and came to Hopi in the late 1960s, where she worked with Charles Loloma at Hotevilla.
Mia is the newest artist represented by Faust Gallery, with work at both our Santa Fe and Scottsdale galleries.