Clark, Carl and Irene Sterling Silver Pendant “Yei Crescent Moon”

Carl & Irene Clark · Navajo

Yei Crescent Moon Inlay Pendant

This Carl and Irene Clark Yei pendant pairs a hand-fabricated sterling silver crescent moon with a stylized Navajo Yei mask in micro-fine inlay. Carl and Irene Clark set the mask in coral, lapis, turquoise, sugilite, mother of pearl, and jet, then domed it so it rises above the silver bezel. Made in 2026, the pendant is signed on the back with the Clarks’ stylized hallmark.

A Carl and Irene Clark Yei Pendant

Yei figures, the Navajo Holy People, appear throughout the Clarks’ work, and here the Yei mask takes center stage. First, each stone was cut by hand into tiny pieces. Then the pieces were fitted so closely that the colors blend from one to the next. As a result, the mask reads almost like a painting in stone. Because the inlay is domed and raised above the bezel, it also catches light from every side.

The crescent moon frames the mask and gives the pendant a strong, graceful outline. In addition, the hand-fabricated silver keeps the design clean, so the inlay stays the focus. The pendant measures 1 9/16 in. long by 1⅛ in. wide, and the bail opening is 3/16 in.

About Carl and Irene Clark

Carl and Irene Clark are a Navajo husband-and-wife team and two of the original masters of micro-fine inlay. Carl taught himself silversmithing in 1973 and taught Irene a year later. Studying ancient jewelry at the library, they developed the color-blending, curved inlay that defines their work, which Carl calls “intarsia inlay.” Their jewelry has won Best of Show awards and has been shown at the Heard Museum and the Smithsonian. Today, a Carl and Irene Clark Yei pendant like this one shows the precision that made their name.