Charles Loloma Sterling Silver Inlaid Bracelet

Charles Loloma (1921-1991) I remember the time before I met Charles Loloma. Lovena would often visit our family in Chicago wearing his stunning jewelry, and I was always captivated by their beauty. In 1981, at 21 years old, I moved to Arizona to work at Lovena’s Gallery in Scottsdale. On my first day, Charles and Georgia Loloma came to see Lovena to discuss new pieces. Lovena never accepted gifts from Charles, so he turned to me and said, “Bill, I can never get Lovena to take a gift, but she can’t stop me from giving you anything.” That’s when he presented me with a sterling silver Kachina Mask belt buckle with ironwood and Lone Mountain Turquoise inlay. This belt buckle is currently on display at the Western Spirit: Scottsdale Museum of the West for everyone to see. In 1982, I had my first show with Charles. The first picture I posted shows the three of us at dinner after the show. He was an amazing teacher and salesman. He had attended the Dale Carnegie Schools of Salesmanship and I’ll never forget the time a woman admired a ring in the case, tried it on, and it was a perfect fit. Charles said, “Well, now I made that special just for you,” and she bought it! I visited Hopi at Charles’s studio and learned a lot about how he created his jewelry. Many people think his bracelets were all made through lost wax casting, but that wasn’t the case; he either hand-fabricated or tufa cast his bracelets. Whenever Charles met people in the gallery, I remember his talent for sketching jewelry pieces on paper to show how they would look before creating them. That was a great visual aid. I worked with Charles, and we were friends for over ten years until he passed away in 1991. I adored Charles; he was so good to Lovena and me. He shared beautiful stories about Hopi culture and the significance of each piece he created. Occasionally, he would share his wild party stories, making me laugh today. I still experience Charles’s artistry through the pieces people bring to the gallery or with his Niece Sonwai, who continues to showcase her jewelry in my galleries today.William Faust II